Our Ghosts Return
by TheRoseShadow21
Summary: 20 years ago, Hope's Peak's plans to celebrate the start of the Reiwa era were shattered when a mysterious tragedy occurred, causing the world famous school to close. Now, it plans to re-open, and it seems the truth might at last come to light. But at what cost? AU, rating M due to difficult themes. (SYOC CLOSED)
1. Prologue

**Yes, i have joined that unique brand of madness known as 'running multiple SYOCs at once'. There is more info at the bottom. But for now, enjoy this prologue!**

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_Extracts from article: 'Hope's Peak Students Found!' in the Japan Times, dated May 30__th__, 2019:_

…After over a month of speculation and concern that has overshadowed the start of the Reiwa Era, 78-B, the class that disappeared from Hope's Peak, have been found after a combination of diligent investigation and anonymous tips led police detectives to an abandoned school building in…..

...It is understood that the seven SHSL students were found to be unharmed but severely traumatised, and unable to tell the detectives or paramedics what had happened to their classmates, but it is understood that these 13 are unlikely to be alive…

…The names of the potentially deceased students will be released once next of kin of all class members have been informed.

**…**

_Mai_

"Alright everyone, we'll leave it there for now. Thank you for your hard work, everyone!"

"Thank you, Arisato-sensei!"

My students let out a sigh of relief, and they started to leave the studio, chattering about everything under the sun that teenage girls could possibly talk about as they went to get changed and go home. A few remembered to gather up the _naruko _and put them in the boxes that they had come in. For a moment, I hung back and watched them all, imagining myself as one of them. Though it would never have been here specifically, there had been a time when I was like them.

_But not anymore_, I acknowledge with just a little sadness. _I haven't been so for a long time…not since…_

With a slight shake of my head, I pulled myself together, and walked over to help the girls-for it was all girls who had stayed this time-to tidy up the rest of the things.

"Thank you for helping, girls." I said, as I joined them.

"Oh, not a problem, sensei." One of them told me cheerily.

"Say, when are we going to do dress rehearsals?" another asked. "The Kyushu festival is in a couple of months."

"The week after next," I told them. "I think we should have your routine down pat by then. I'm visiting the Kochi festival with one of my other groups next week and I might be able to get some ideas."

"Oh, we're going as a mini-group. Well, us, Hiroki-kun and Asa-chan too." The first girl said. "Just for fun, though."

"Very nice, I'm impressed. That'll be a good experience for you." I said. "What's your team called?"

"Star Quality." Another girl said.

"Well, I'll be sure to look out for you. Enjoy yourselves, won't you?"

"We will!"

After a few more moments, I insisted that the girls left and went to enjoy the rest of their evening. I finished tidying, and then I left the studio, tapping the booking screen to indicate that the session had now finished. Not that it mattered when it was so late in the evening-it was unlikely to be used. I headed to one of the resource cupboards, put the_ naruko_ away, and then headed straight up to my office, which I shared with another teacher, who taught jazz dance.

That teacher was not in when I stepped into my office, so when I turned on my computer again to check my online diary, I also put on my music and let the sound fill the room. Humming along to the melody, I opened up this week's page, and checked what I had left for tomorrow, Friday and Saturday. The group whose lesson had just finished-a mixed group of high school students who had all come here to learn yosakoi when they hadn't been able to garner enough interest in their schools to form clubs of their own-wouldn't be in again for a practise session until Tuesday of the next week, though I knew a few would be coming to me during my office hours on Monday afternoon for advice. But on Thursday morning I had the summer holiday beginner group of elementary students, and in the afternoon I was visiting Motohara Middle School as a guest instructor for their yosakoi club. Friday I had the group from Nozomi Special School in all day for an intensive dress rehearsal-the same group I would be accompanying to Kochi next week. Just seeing them listed in the calendar made me smile. If I had to be honest, they were my favourite of the different groups that I taught.

This dance school hadn't taken on special-needs students before I had decided to, a few years ago, a response to realising that my youngest might have had special needs too. She was able to flourish in a normal school, as it turned out, but those tumultuous months had made me realised that this diverse dance school still needed to do more. So I had pushed for this provision, and succeeded, and the Nozomi Special School had been sending groups of their students for different kinds of instructions for the past four years. It was little wonder that they were my favourites. I got up from my computer and went to my cupboard to make sure that I had enough spare costumes and adapted props.

After riffling through and confirming this, I returned to the computer and my calendar to see that on Saturday I was covering one of the middle school contemporary dance groups. But apart from that, I was free for the rest of that day. _Oh, good. I'll see if there are any parent meetings or admin I can do in that time. Otherwise, maybe I can spend the rest of the day with Juro and the kids. _It wasn't likely that Juro would be so lucky, but I could at least plan something. And since as far as I was aware he had no big cases, perhaps he would be able to sneak an hour or two for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

I looked through my work emails and dealt with anything that needed a quicker reply, then leant back in my chair, closing my eyes and taking a moment, before getting my phone and checking my messages. Somewhat unusually, there was a missed video call, a missed phone call, and a number of text messages from Juro, all in quick succession from an hour ago.

For a moment, all I could do was stare. _Breathe, Mai. Breathe. It's probably Juro saying that he won't be back in time for dinner, or a new case means he may be out all night. _If it was anything more serious, the school would have been called, someone would have come to tell me. _But, why a video call? _My hands trembled, even as I kept on taking deep breaths, and I looked at the texts.

_Juro: Hey, Mai, my love. Hope the day's going well. Do you have time right now?  
Juro: I need to video-call you as soon as possible.  
Juro: There's something important I need to tell you. It's nothing to worry about, I just want to see your face when I tell you.  
Juro: Looks like you're busier than I thought-that's okay. Message me as soon as you get a moment, 'kay?_

Slowly, carefully, I tapped back a reply.

_Mai: Sorry, I only just saw these. I'm finished for the day and will be heading home to make dinner soon. Is now a good time for you?_

I waited for a moment that seemed to last an eternity, and then three little dots in a speech bubble appeared, indicating that Juro was typing. And then, finally:

_Juro: I can't now, unfortunately. But it looks like I'll be able to come home by dinnertime. How about we talk once the kids are in bed?_

_Mai: Alright. But what is this about? Has something happened? _

There was another moment before Juro typed again.

_Juro: I think it'll be easier for you if we're face-to-face. But don't worry, alright? I promise you Mai, it will be fine. _

I had no reason to not believe Juro. Ever since we met, he always protected me. I've always been used to the ups and downs that come with being a detective's wife-more so, considering that his job is how we met, so long ago. But all the same, he's gone above and beyond in looking after me, after everything that has happened, to make sure that I never, ever have to be scared again. But it's impossible to be shielded from all fear-this was something I knew, all too well. And this was one of those moments.

_Breathe, Mai, breathe. It will be fine. It has to be fine. _

I closed the messaging screen, went to my phone gallery, and scrolled through all the photos that I had. Of me with Juro, of Juro with the kids, both or one of the kids by themselves. Pictures of the life I now had, proof that I was safe and happy now. _Please, Juro. Let it be something that's not as bad as it sounds. _With that silent prayer, I got up, picked up the bag that had my casual clothes, and left the office. On my way to the showers, I passed one of my students, heading back down in the opposite direction.

"Are you alright?" I asked, snapping back into teacher mode.

"Oh, yeah!" the girl held up a small bag and laughed sheepishly. "I left my shower bag behind!"

"Ah, right." I nodded. "Well, have a nice evening."

"You too, sensei."

The girl looked like she was just about to leave when suddenly, she paused.

"Oh yeah, there was someone sitting in reception when I came back, but Ishida-san didn't know why and they seem like they're just prepared to sit and wait."

"Oh." I considered this for a moment. "If you see another teacher on the way out, tell them, they might know who it is. Otherwise, I'll double-check when I'm going."

"Alright then. Well, see you next week, sensei."

The girl zoomed down the corridor, and I pondered the person in reception for a moment. They could be a prospective parent, or just someone waiting for one of the others. Or perhaps just wanting to wait in the indoors for a while to kill time. Stranger things had happened. _But it has nothing to do with me. _So I put the thought out of my head, and went to shower.

**…**

Showering and changing turned out to have a calming effect on me. There was still a part of me trembling in dread, but I could at least be sure that I would not become undone on the way home. Returning to the office, I realised I had left my music on, and quickly turned it off before logging off and shutting it down. I grabbed my phone, handbag and dance clothes bag, then went to pull the curtains. I looked out at the grounds briefly as I did so, and absently wondered if I should do some of the Nozomi Special School's rehearsals outdoors. If the weather held up, it would be a nice change. And good preparation for the festival, too. Then, I exited the office and locked it-the other teacher would likely go straight home after finishing up at the theatre.

On my way down to reception, I said my goodbyes to the few other teachers who were still in school, preparing for the next day or otherwise practising their own dances. I did not perform or compete myself these days, but I didn't miss it. I was glad to let them take that spotlight, and just concentrate on the teaching. When I got to the ground floor, I remembered the student mentioning the person waiting. _I wonder if they're still there, _I mused as I opened the door that separated reception for the main building.

Looking out at the chairs, there was indeed a person occupying it. Their head was bowed slightly, their hands carefully placed in their lap, but at a glance they seemed to be my age. Noticing Ishida at the desk glance up, I looked at her questioningly, and she shook her head before returning to whatever admin she was doing. I quickly signed myself out on the screen, then turned to regard the person. Something seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn't place it. _It's probably nothing, then. _

"Um, are you waiting for one of the teachers?" I asked politely after a moment.

The person looked up. Again, that sense of familiarity. But, where from? Racking my brains, I couldn't place it. I waited for them to say something, but they didn't. Instead, they looked at me for a long moment. Their eyes searched, from my chin-length wavy brown hair, with the ostentatious hair-bow that I only wore because it had been a present from Sachi, right down to the comfortable crocs I now wore on my feet and the chipping pink nail polish on my toes.

I stared back, not sure what to make of their scrutiny. The longer they stared, the more I had a chance to take them in though, and with each moment the feeling that I knew them grew stronger. But still, I could not place it. _I need to get home. I need to make dinner, I need to find out what Juro needs to tell me. _I prepared to make my excuses and go, when their expression abruptly changed and they spoke.

"Sadie?"

And just like that, instantly, I recognised them.

Because the thing about my life is that there is a thick line that divides it in two. In this half, in the here and now, I am Mai Arisato. I am a yosakoi teacher at the Ayaka Adachi Dance School. I am a devoted wife to Juro, a loving mother to Sachi and Akio. I have a somewhat exotic heritage, but beyond that, I am just an ordinary woman, living an ordinary life.

_We have to promise…_

But in the other half, it is a different story. There, I am Sarah Mai Hashiri. I am a teenager caught between three worlds. I am a budding yosakoi dancer whose talent got recognised in what was the most prominent of ways back then. I am a girl whose life changed irrevocably over the course of a month and a half.

In that other half, I am Sadie. But I am no longer Sadie, and that is how I knew who this person might be. Because they, too, belonged there, in that part of my life that is separate to the rest of it.

_..to stay apart from this moment on…_

Their name fell from my lips, unbidden, sounding like a question. The image of my hand overlapping with theirs and five others, sealing the promise, flashed bright in my head. _It cannot be…_

They got up, and took a step forward, before pausing. I wondered if they were remembering the same thing.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I…why?" I asked.

It was all I could ask. I was all too aware of Ishida, who would still overhear even if she was not the eavesdropping type. I was all too aware of the line between here, and back then. The promise, too. But from the guilty look on their face, they knew it too.

…_all of us, forever. It's for the best. _

"Things have changed. We need to meet up again, all of us. Haven't you heard?"

Briefly, I wondered if this could be connected to what Juro needed to tell me. But how could it be? How could it be possible, with the thick line between them?

_But if that line was really so strong, would they be here now, looking at you? Calling you by your old name?_

_Breathe, Mai, breathe. _ I shook my head, then gestured, as if to say, let's step outside. I called out my farewell to Ishida, then strode out, and stopped just outside the door, waiting for them to catch up. I fought the urge to bounce restlessly, and faced them straight on. They came to stand in front of me, close, but not too close. They held themselves stiffly, when there was a time they would have been easy around me. But of course they were stiff now. We had not seen each other for 20 years.

We were never meant to see each other again.

"I'm not sure what you are referring to…" Hesitating for a moment, I said their name again, then continued.

"I haven't heard anything that would be…well, I don't even know."

I considered mentioning the promise, but there was no point. We both knew it, after all. And turning back now wouldn't change the fact that it had been broken. So I got straight to the point:

What's happened? Why are you here?"

They hesitated, closing their eyes for a moment. Then, they let out a breath, and said it:

"They're thinking of re-opening Hope's Peak."

* * *

**Characters introduced this chapter:**

**Survivors:**

**Mai Arisato (nee Sarah Mai Hashiri), former SHSL Yosakoi Dancer -(my OC)**

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**So yeah, here I am with another SYOC, even though my life is mad and I am already writing one. Admittedly, I have been good at resisting the call of other ideas, but this one stuck with me persistently enough and for long enough that I decided that I will just take the plunge and try it. Even if update frequency is slightly less overall, I am sure I have proved myself to be capable of regular updates. And in any case, it'll be fun! It's going to be very different from ASIB, that's for sure. Though possibly just as dark further down the line. But anyway, without further ado, the rules and guidance!**

**Rules and guidance:**

**1) ****First things first, there are three main roles that you can apply for, and an extra role. These are as follows:  
-_Survivor:_ a survivor of the killing game 20 years ago, a member of class 78-B. It might help you to know that they would have been second-years at Hope's Peak at the time they were kidnapped, and that they were involved in planning the celebrations mentioned in the plot summary. In the present timeline, they would be adults now. There will be six spots available.  
-_Investigator:_ someone who in some way was involved in the investigation of the original 'tragedy' as it was known (part of the plot premise is that back then, the fact it was a killing game the class was forced into wasn't known, just that 20 students went missing and only seven came back) and are now re-involved as a result of New Hope's Peak. There will be six spots available.  
-_Prospective:_ these characters are teenagers who have been scouted for New Hope's Peak. There will be six spots available.  
-_Victim:_ A member of Class 78-B who died in the 'tragedy'. They can either be someone who was 'killed' (that is to say, what you would call a victim in typical DR killing game fics) or a 'blackened' (so a killer). There are only four victim spots available, and victims can only be part of a duo with a character from one of the three main roles. The victim form will not be on my profile, you will need to indicate on the form of the first character that they are part of a duo with a victim and I will send you the form. **

**2) ****The total number of submissions I will accept from each person is four. You may send me two duos, one duo and two solo characters, or four solo characters. Members of the duo can be from the same role, or a different role, but just to reiterate, any victims you send can only be as part of a duo. Duos can have any sort of relationship. **

**3) ****I want a good gender mix, but am not fussed about getting even amounts of each gender or whatever.**

**4) ****Each form has various bits of specific guidance within brackets to help you. Use those to help you but for the love of all things good in the world, please delete the brackets when actually filling in the form. **

**5) ****This is a Japan-based story, so where nationality is concerned, for the most part please make them Japanese. Likewise with their ethnicity, it is most likely they will be Japanese, but of course if it makes sense for their backstory they can be of a different nationality and ethnicity. The investigator role has slightly different expectations but that is in the form guidance. Having them be half-Japanese or something works too. **

**6) ****NO recycled characters. Unless they were rejected elsewhere, or from a story that has either been explicitly discontinued or simply hasn't been running for at least a year, do not send characters you've sent to other stories to me. And if you get an OC accepted here, do NOT send them elsewhere. If I receive a recycled OC, I will not acknowledge it, let alone accept it. If you recycle an OC you get accepted here, they will be promptly killed off and forgotten, or something similar depending on what role they had here until that point.**

**7) ****Submissions by PM only. Review OCs will be ignored. Make sure all the PMs for each character you send are in the same thread. **

**8) ****Please bear in mind that this is a complete AU, and it is also a separate AU to _And So It Begins_. So don't mention canon events or characters or ASIB things in your form. It just will not make sense. **

**9) ****Details, please. You don't have to be me and write a mini-novel, but I want effort put in(so no Mary Sues/ Gary Stus blah blah blah). And details are always good :)**

**10) ****Where talents for Survivor, Victim and Prospective roles are concerned, canon talents/ variations on canon talents are fine. However, please _do not_ send a Lucky Student for the Prospective role, and _no_ SHSL Hope, Despair,? or anything like that for any of these roles. But on the whole, new talents are preferred. Also those that are actual talents. **

**11) ****As with ASIB, I won't post a submitted talents list. However, when I do accept a character, their details will be put up on my profile along with other status updates. I will also list details of the OCs in the cast that are my own. **

**12) ****This is not first-come, first-serve, but the final deadline will be 14th July 2019, though if by near the later half of June, if submissions have been slow I may extend . However, I will gradually accept characters as I go along up until that deadline. Either way, my status updates are your friend here-check them!**

**13) ****If there are any questions not covered by guidance here or within the form you are filling out, message me! I won't answer immediately most of the time, but will do as soon as possible! **

**14) ****Most important of all, have fun!**


	2. (Un)like father, (un)like son

**I can't think of a title for this chapter so I am leaving it as it is until I can. Suggestions are appreciated!**

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_Akio_

I heard the footsteps of my sister behind me, but I ignored them. I could tell from how exaggerated the footsteps were and the stifled giggles that accompanied them that she was clearly planning to try and surprise me in some way-subtlety had never been Sachi's strong point. So, I smiled to myself, and continued home as if there wasn't an overly gleeful nine-year-old stalking me. Though I did wonder why she was only heading home now-most days, she went straight home from school, whereas I usually had my animation club duties. _Oh well, I'll just ask once she 'surprises' me. _

I turned the corner and made my way down the road our house was on, and thought about the day. At club, we were well on task for the deadline for the short film competition we were entering during the summer holidays, though I was also making a video for a cover artist's new video and that was eating into my time. Not to mention the homework I had to do each night. I had always managed it before, and I would manage it again, but it wasn't much fun. Still, perhaps I could take a breather at the weekend.

Getting to the front door, I stopped to find my keys. I heard Sachi bounce behind me, but I continued to keep up the pretence as I pulled the keychain out of my bag and walked up the front path. I quickly opened the door and stepped through, 'forgetting' to shut it behind me, so Sachi could get through without needing to take out her own keys and 'give away the game' (this, naturally, being one of the few things she was able to remember to do to keep up her pretence).

"I'm back!" I called out.

Not hearing a response, I knew neither of my parents were home-though I knew Mum would be soon. I knelt down on the step, and prepared to unlace my school shoes, when I saw a letter on the floor. It was in a cream envelope which looked like it was made out of some fancy paper, but more unusually, it was addressed to me. Akio Arisato.

_Well, that's unusual. _

I didn't often get post addressed to me. Some school things, very occasionally. Birthday and New Year cards from distant relatives on my father's side (Mum was an orphan, which is why there were never any from her side), and once a while ago, subscriptions to a magazine I used to follow as a kid. Party invitations and the like were always handed to me in person, or emailed or messaged. I simply did not receive cream-coloured envelopes that bore my name in an elegant print, with a fancy logo in the corner. I picked it up cautiously, but only had time to register that the paper of the envelope felt as fancy as it looked, for that was when Sachi chose her moment to strike.

"Guesss whooooooo?" she said, putting her hands over my glasses.

"Um," I pretended to think as I hurriedly stuffed the envelope in my blazer pocket. "Is it Dad?"

A peal of giggles.

"Nooooo."

"Well, is it Mum?"

"Noooo!"

"Well then, it _must_ be Sachi!"

"Yay, you got it, Nii-chan!"

Sachi removed her hands from my face, and I re-adjusted my glasses before turning around to face her. She grinned at me, looking very pleased with herself. The rainbow shrimp hairclips she had in her bright red hair were slightly lopsided, and her ponytails were a mess.

"How come you're only home now?"

"I went to the children's centre with Mika!"

"Ahhh." I nodded, remembering that sometimes Sachi did that. "Of course."

Sachi giggled at that, and bounded down the step and ahead of me.

"Anyway, come, Nii-chan, I want to eat a cookie and there are things to tell you and aaa-"

"Sachi, what do you have to do first?"

"Huh?"

Sachi spun back around and looked at me, confused. I sighed with a smile, and pointed at her feet.

"What's the routine, Sachi?" I asked, as I did a lot of the time.

Sachi frowned for a moment, then she lit up.

"Oh! Shoes!"

"And then…" I prompted.

"Lunchbox in the kitchen, and then change and clean-up, and then cookies." Sachi recited obediently.

"Atta girl."

Sachi grinned, and bent down to take off her shoes, while I locked the door. Then, I followed Sachi into the kitchen, ready to remind her of the routine if need be. Just like any other day, really.

Except that there was a mysterious letter in my pocket, and I had not forgotten about it.

**…**

Sachi was on her fifth cookie and what was probably her millionth anecdote, putting off her homework as well as mine, when we heard the key in the lock, and then a moment later, Mum's voice called out.

"I'm back!"

"MUMMY!"

Sachi instantly abandoned her cookie on the table before I could remind her to put it on the plate, and zipped out. I heard her babbling, and some of Mum's quiet responses. _Oh? _A few moments later, Mum came into the room and put her own lunchbox by the sink, Sachi clinging to her like a slipper limpet.

"Oh, Akio. How many cookies has Sachi had?"

"Er…."

"I had ten million!"

"It was five." I said, quickly. "That was number five."

Not that it was plausible that she'd _actually_ eaten ten million, but still.

Normally, Mum would have scolded me-gently, but all the same, scolded me for giving into Sachi's sweet tooth, but today, she just _looked_ at me. Sachi stared up at her, confused, then let go to return to her cookie and eat it up.

"After this, I'll do my homework!"

"Good." Mum said, seeming almost distracted as, rather than go up to change, she went to the cupboards, and started going through them, pulling out different things.

"I'm thinking of making rice pilaf with kafta tonight, perhaps with some lentil spinach soup." She said absently. "You like kafta, right, Akio?"

"I, um, do you want any help, Mum?" I asked, looking at her carefully.

I wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about all of this that made me think-_wait. _Something just didn't feel right.

"Oooh, I wanna help, I wanna help!" Sachi interjected.

"Oh, no, no." At this, an attempt at a smile as she turned momentarily to face us. "You two need to do your homework."

"Aww, but-"

"Maybe we can come help another day, right, Mum?" I said, quickly, as I noticed both Sachi's lip tremble and Mum look like a deer in the headlights.

"Exactly, exactly." Mum said, still sounding absent. "Now, I'm just going to change and then I will start straight away, so you shouldn't have to wait long."

"Alright." I said, simply, not really knowing what else to say.

I let Mum and Sachi leave the room first, and I waited, brushing away the crumbs Sachi had left on the table and washing the glass I had drunk juice from. I wondered if I should have pressed it. After all, Mum being visibly sad in front of us was not something that usually happened.

_Maybe later, when Sachi is in bed. Besides, there are still things to do. _

And I had not forgotten about the letter either. So, after looking around at the things Mum had left on the counter in preparation for cooking, I sighed and went upstairs.

**…**

_Juro_

Whenever the past has particularly haunted my wife, she responded by cooking Lebanese food.

Not that she doesn't cook the food of her childhood at other times. Akio and his friends love her 'foreign cooking' so she has made things for them many times before. But for all the years I have known and loved her, this has been a sure sign of her dwelling on the past. Simple introspection, or something triggering a specific flashback or memory. Whatever it is, if it's Lebanese food that she is making, it is almost certain that she has been reminded of the past, and never in a good way.

So when I came home only to smell those familiar smells, I was instantly worried. Not least because I knew that I would be the bearer of news that is likely to make her retreat further. I took a deep, heavy breath and called out:

"I'm back!"

Leaving my blazer on the banister, I headed straight to the kitchen, and simply stood there for a moment, watching Mai stir something in a pan thoughtfully, her shoulders high and an introspective look on her face.

"_You're not going back to Brazil?"_

_Sadie shook her head, and returned to looking out of the window. _

"_It was never really home for me. _Obaa-san_ and _Teta_ were what made it home, and now…"_

_She did not need to complete that sentence. It was a tragedy on top of another tragedy, that her grandmothers had not survived to see that their beloved granddaughter, the bridge between their cultures, was safe and well after all. In some ways, I considered them extra victims of this travesty. _

"_What about friends? Other relatives? Is there nothing you'd miss?"_

_Sadie shrugged, still looking out of the window. From the reflection, I could see her brow furrow as she considered this. _

"_The food, maybe. But I can make food anywhere. I just need a kitchen." Then, she smiled faintly. "It will be fine though, Officer Arisato. I will find a way to make it work. I'll be fine, really."_

"_Well…"_

_I trailed off. It did not seem fair that while at least the other survivors had people to go back to, Sadie would be all alone in the world. Hostels tried their best, but they were nothing compared to a home. To companionship. _

"_Come and stay in my apartment." I found myself saying. _

_Sadie looked over her shoulder, eyes wide in surprise. I spluttered a little, and tried to get my impulse idea into some sort of order. _

"_It's not much, but I can stay on the sofa. And it would only be until you've found somewhere of your own. It'll be better than a hostel, after all."_

"_I…would that be allowed?"_

_I had not considered that, but I did not indicate that. Instead, I just continued smiling, as reassuringly as I could. _

"_There's nothing wrong in it. And besides, the case has been closed, after all. There won't be any conflict of interest."_

_Sadie tilted her head slightly, and considered this. Then, she nodded. _

"_If…that's really okay?"_

"_Of course it is."_

"_Then, yes please."_

Even before I'd started to love her, I'd wanted to protect her. And now, I both loved her and wanted to protect her. It should have made this easier, but in truth it made it harder.

I cleared my throat, and Mai looked up, wide eyed, before smiling. A tentative smile, but still, at least, a smile.

"Juro!"

"Hey. What are you cooking?"

Mai reeled off the list of things she was cooking, and then turned her gaze away from me, stirring the soup with fierce concentration.

"Did something happen?" I asked her.

There was nothing obvious that I had missed. Her grandmothers' death anniversary had passed, as had the anniversary of her escape. Her parents' death anniversary was in November, but that had never affected her this badly. Mai sighed, and looked up.

"Did you know about Hope's Peak?" she asked, in a whisper, flicking her eyes up to the ceiling anxiously.

I blinked, wrongfooted.

"How did_ you_ know?" I asked.

Now it was Mai's turn to blink, and to look up at me again.

"I…overheard people talking about it on the way back home." She said. "But Juro, how come?"

"Well," I was about to tell her, but then I heard small footsteps, and I paused.

A moment later, the footsteps became louder and nearer, accompanied by:

"DADDY!"

"Woah!" I laughed as Sachi barrelled into me. "Hello there, cheeky monkey."

As Sachi immediately prattled about something or other, I looked at Mai and gave her a smile._ 'Later, okay?'_ I mouthed. Mai nodded, and returned to her cooking, while I left the room with Sachi.

I just hoped it would all be okay in the end.

**…**

_Akio_

It became even clearer that something wasn't quite right with Mum when we actually sat down to have dinner. Sachi was always the one who talked the most at the table, as she was in most situations, but Mum could usually match the chatter, asking us about our days, while Dad would chip in from time to time. But this time, it was all Sachi, while Mum nodded idly and tried to smile. And Dad just kept looking at her, also smiling, but clearly fake.

I'd been all prepared to mention the letter, and to ask if either of them knew what Hope's Peak was-if anyone in the house was going to know about a school that had closed 20 years ago, it would be them after all- but I knew that I couldn't. Not like this.

"Is everything okay, Mum?" I asked as I helped to clear away the plates.

Mum startled, and blinked. Instead of answering, she looked over at Dad for some reason.

"Why're you asking that, Nii-chan?" Sachi asked. "Has something bad happened?"

"No, no, no." Dad frowned at me slightly, and I tried not to bristle at that. "Everything is absolutely fine. Nothing to worry about at all."

He said it in that authoritative way he had sometimes, when he tried to act as if the fact he was a detective made him akin to a superhero, who could make things true just by saying them, just from having the knowledge that came with being a detective. Which was fine for Sachi, who was still little after all. But me?

The fact that Dad was a detective-that made me a detective's son. And I don't think Dad has ever realised that.

"But…"

"Are you alright, Akio? You seemed a little distant today." Dad said quickly.

_Okay, there really is something wrong. _There was a part of me that felt like being snarky, and telling them that the fact they were clearly hiding something was what was wrong- but that wouldn't have been fair. Because I knew that for all it was patronising, they were doing it for the right reasons. I was lucky that I'd never had any real reason to clash with my parents when so many of my classmates did, and I didn't want to start now. Besides, he was right. I _did_ have something on my mind.

"Could we talk after we're cleared up?" I asked hesitantly.

Dad paused, and looked at Mum, who didn't react. He rubbed his head and sighed before eventually answering me.

"I need to talk with your mother first." He said. "But after that?"

"Sure."

"You can leave the plates, Akio." Mum suddenly said, as if she'd only just thought of it. "Dad and I will wash them."

"I…it's my turn on the rota though?"

I pointed to the fridge, where the family chores rota was stuck on with a lopsided bunny magnet Sachi had made in first grade.

"Don't worry about it, Akio. " Dad said, in that same firm voice. "We'll do them. And after that, we'll be out on the swinging seat."

_The swinging seat? _I glanced out of the kitchen window at the wooden seat in the back garden, the place that had unofficially become the place to go if you needed time to calm down or cool off. It was not as if I spent all my days in sheer bliss, but I couldn't remember the last time I had used it. Or when any of us had. _Okay, this is bad-as if I didn't know already. But what's the point of asking?_

"The swinging seat! But who's gonna read me a story?" Sachi asked anxiously.

"I will!" I said, quickly.

"No, no, it's okay." Dad said firmly. "I'll be up, don't you worry."

There was no reason for me to think it was a lie. But all the same, I could not help but stare meaningfully at them as Sachi hurtled upstairs, singing some kids' song in a cheerful, off-key voice.

"Go on, Akio." Mum said softly, coming to take the soapy plate away from me.

Dad stood behind her, and put a hand on her shoulder, and nodded at me, as if to underline Mum's soft encouragement. I'd seen them stand like that so many times, but never quite like this.

_And I still don't even know what 'this' is. _

"See you later." I said, trying to be off-handed.

I turned around quickly and headed upstairs. But not fast enough to be able to avoid hearing a snatch of crying.

**…**

_Juro_

While Mai got ready for bed, I went to check on the kids. In the end, Akio had had to read a story to Sachi, and while I knew she would have been pleased at having extra attention from her big brother, I couldn't help but feel bad. I had promised, after all. But this thing…I had no idea how it would turn out, just that I needed to keep Mai safe from it. To protect her, as I always had.

_The best thing, of course, would be if it never happened. But I understand the need, to tie up loose ends, to try and get some closure. I wouldn't be a detective if that wasn't the case. But…._

I shook my head, and moved away from Sachi's room-where she was mercifully fast asleep, surrounded by countless teddy bears as usual-and headed down the corridor to where Akio's room was. There was no light coming out from under his door either, and sure enough, when I opened the door quietly to check, he wasn't studying, animating, or chatting with friends online. He was as fast asleep as Sachi was, but curled up on his side, facing me so that I could see how the curls of his brown hair fell over his face, obscuring his shut eyes. I could not tell if his sleep was peaceful or troubled, and I felt a stab of guilt at not being able to keep my word.

Hopefully, the investigation would run its course and simply close again, allowing us all to get on with our lives. Then I could really find out what was troubling Akio, and help to sort it out properly. _Though, hopefully, it's nothing too bad, _I mused as I took this chance and the sliver of light to idly scan what I could see of Akio's room, _Akio's always been a good kid. Smart, kind. A real credit to us, patient with Sachi…he does not deserve to have his mother's trauma on his shou-_

My thoughts ground to a halt as I spied an envelope on Akio's desk, looking out of place as it did, lying flat in the middle, open with a folded sheet of paper partially sticking out. After glancing over at Akio again, I carefully eased the door open a little more and slipped in, taking care not to make any sound as I went to the desk and carefully lifted the envelope, sucking in a breath of surprise, as my fingers registered the quality of the paper. I flipped the envelope around, and for a moment, everything stopped.

Not at the fact that it was addressed directly to Akio, but at the fact there was a very familiar emblem in the corner.

The Hope's Peak logo.

_It cannot be, can it? Surely, they cannot be moving this fast? _ Another breath, and another sideways glance at Akio, and then carefully, carefully, I eased the sheet out of the envelope, and in the dim light of the corridor, I began to read.

* * *

**Characters introduced this chapter:**

**Investigators**

**Juro Arisato, Murder Detective (my OC)**

**Prospectives**

**Akio Arisato, SHSL Lucky Student (my OC)**

**This chapter is really just to introduced Akio and Juro, who are pretty much the protags of their respective roles, and to give a sense what Arisato family life looks like, and how already Hope's Peak is straining it. But anyway, as far as submissions are going, I have had some excellent ones so far, but overall still very few, so yeah, submit away if you are so inclined! I might making the first few cast selections over the next week, but the current deadline still stands so do not worry about that!**


	3. Extracts 1

_Extract from article: 'Students from prestigious school missing' in the Towa Gazette, dated April 20__th__, 2019:_

Twenty students from Hope's Peak have been declared missing after they failed to return to their dorms a week ago, after a whole-class road trip undertaken to apparently prepare for Hope's Peak's upcoming Reiwa Era celebrations. The students, ranging in age from 16-18, are understood to all be from Class 78-B and include...

**…**

_Messages recovered from the phone of Akari Kishinami, found at the accident scene:_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:30PM] Katsuya Komiya: So, you know how we need to go to Yodoe for Sen-sen's umbrellas, and we have to get a whole bunch of things from other places? =D =D_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:30PM] Lilian Lao: Yes, what about it?_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:30PM] Katsuya Komiya: Why don't we make it like a proper road trip? =D_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:31PM] Katsuya Komiya: I mean, Hatachii knows how to drive so we can borrow one of the mini-vans, right? =D_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:32] Azami Kishinami: We'd have to go through Kyoto to get to Yodoe, right?_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:32] Azami Kishinami: We'd be able to get more traditional-ish decorations and whatsit there! And we could do the tourist-y thing too!_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:32] Azami Kishinami: I mean I've been before, just not for the tourist-y thing! It'd be fun to go together!_

_[2nd April 2019, 21:33] Azami Kishinami: Also my sis can't be bothered to come on, but she likes the idea too :)_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:33] Rin Hatakawayama: yh I can drive, up for it if everyone else is_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:33] Sen'ya Ochiai: Yeah I'm cool_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:33] Sen'ya Ochiai: Also Komiya I've been telling you for over a frigging year I hate that nickname -.-'_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:33] Katsuya Komiya: Sorry, sorry! But it's so cuuuuuute! =D_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:34] Sen'ya Ochiai:…_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:34]Katsuya Komiya: But yeah, deffo we can go through Kyoto! =D_

_[2__nd__ April 2019, 21:34] Lilian Lao: So, when are we planning this trip for?_

_[2__nd__ April, 2019, 21:24] Katsuya Komiya: Uh, maybe this weekend? =D_

**…**

_Extract from an email sent from the medical examiner to the detectives investigating the Class 78-B case, dated 6__th__ June 2019:_

…It is clear in my mind that every single one of these victims were murdered. However, from victim to victim, the cause of death differs wildly (for example Akari Kishinami being stabbed twice, whereas Sen'ya Ochiai was strangled). However, there is one common pattern, in that if you arrange the students in order of death, every alternating student's death appears to have been more akin to torture than murder-though even these torture methods seemed to have varied wildly from student to student…

**…**

_The letter sent to Akio Arisato from New Hope's Peak, dated July 12__th__ 2039, and arrived at the Arisato household July 13__th__, 2039. _

Dear Akio Arisato,

We are writing to inform you that you have been selected to be the first 'SHSL Lucky Student' to be admitted to the New Hope's Peak Academy, which is due to be opened next academic year. As with our predecessor, the Lucky Student is randomly selected from all the current high school-aged students in the country who are unlikely to be considered for their own Talent.

The re-opening of Hope's Peak as New Hope's Peak has been a long time in the running, and we are honoured to finally be able to prepare to re-open the school. Equally, it is also a honour to accept you as a member of this new school's first class.

More information will be sent to you in the coming months in preparation for your attendance. A new website and phone line has been set up for general information and inquiries, and the details of these are below. We look forward to seeing you next April.

Yours sincerely,

Kyosuke Munakata (principal)

* * *

**A quick clarifier-though this story has started in mid-July, the Kochi festival referenced in the prologue is technically in August in reality. However, for the purposes of this story, I have made it such that it is a two part festival-one part from 9-12****th**** August as it is actually, and another from 20-23****rd**** July, which is the one Mai is going to. My only justification is A: I am silly, B: I don't feel like re-writing to correct it and C: It is 2039 in the present day of the story timeline anyway.**

**But anyway, this sort of chapter will be the 'special' chapters of these fics, and they'll probably be a little longer than this one. They'll pretty much have things the way this one does, but as time goes on there will be scenes from the POV of Victim characters too. I'm not sure how many I want to do, or even how often, but yeah, some updates are gonna look like this. **

**Also, the SYOC is still very much open-including the few I accepted, there haven't been many submissions at all so chances are quite good. So, er, yeah. Submit away :)**

**I'll leave it there for now-I hope you enjoyed this little chapter. **

**(P.S. Big thanks to Grampy for the title suggestion for last chapter!)**


	4. Signal of Beginnings

**Alrighty, you can review now! If you want. Anyway, there's important info about submissions at the bottom, but until you get there, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_Ayuna_

One of the things Ryoko and I looked for when searching for this flat was large windows.

Sure, there were all the other, more mundane things that couples tended to look for when house-searching. Transport links, price range, closeness to our respective workplaces, how safe the area was, schools, shops, nightlife size of the actual flats. Well, maybe not schools that much-though neither of us had anything against children, neither of us had the desire to have our own-but we did look at all of those things.

Just that, as well as all that, I wanted large windows. Maybe not floor-to-ceiling windows like the front room windows I was currently gazing out of, but large windows that couldn't fail to show you the outside world. The people hurrying around on the ground, the other buildings, planes in the sky and the very sky itself. All of it had to be there, in easy reach of my eye-view. People who knew my history could easily connect the dots as to why.

"_Hey, what are you doing up?"_

_Seiko looked over her shoulder at me, legs still swinging absently, the backs of her trainers hitting the desk legs. With a sigh, she jumped off, tugged down at her pyjama t-shirt and looked at me for a moment. With the windows boarded up, there was only the faint corridor light coming in from the door I had opened, and it wasn't enough to discern her expression, even if I could see that her pixie-cut was rumpled. _

"_Osamu. I could ask the same as you."_

_I shrugged, inexplicably embarrassed as I ran a hand through my own messy blue-green hair. _

"_Couldn't sleep. Just thinking…you know. " I shrugged as I came into the room. "That was a mess, all of it. Azami-chan, and Moeka-chan too….Moeka-chan! It doesn't make sense."_

_Walking over to the side Seiko was standing in, I leaned against one of the boarded-up windows and moved my hands in random gestures, trying to word what I was thinking, what my mind was churning up. _

"_The more this goes on, the more confused I am. I mean, why? What is he, or she…or they, even, getting out of this?"_

_Seiko had been bouncing slightly on her feet, a habit I was well used to, but now she became still. _

_"There are many different kinds of people in this world; it's hard to imagine what they're all like, even with how much we've seen." She said, after a moment. "There's probably some sort of reason for this, even if it isn't the type of reason that would make sense to us."_

"_I know that! Just…I'm scared, really, Seiko. Aren't you?"_

_Seiko opened her mouth, about to say some of the same reassuring things she said to the others, but then she paused, shook her head firmly, and then nodded. Then, she moved over to the same boarded-up window I was leaning against, but instead of leaning against it like I was, she faced it, put her hand against it. I thought of when I'd tried to prise away these boards, and the narrow escape I'd had from what had resulted. _

"_How long have we been in here, Osamu?"_

"_I…" the question took me by surprise. "Uh, a month, right? Something like that."_

"_That sounds about right, I think."_

"_Well, yeah, but that could just be this 'mastermind' messing with us!" I said, frustrated. "We might have been in here for longer. Maybe even shorter! We don't know anything!"_

"_Still, for now, let's say it's been a month."_

"_I…." I frowned slightly. "Sure?"_

"_So that's a month since we've last been out in the world, a month since we felt the wind, smelt cut grass, seen the stars." Seiko said. "It would be enough to turn most people mad."_

"_You haven't?" I offered. "You've been pretty sane, so far."_

_This close, I could see Seiko's mouth quirk up into a funny sort of half-smile. I recalled something she'd said before, about a matter of perspective. But she did not say that this time. Instead, she sighed, and leaned her forehead against the wood, avoiding one of the huge bolts. Still, I didn't imagine it was particularly comfortable. _

_"I hope one day we can all go outside and see the stars again." Seiko whispered. "I can't believe that happened only a month ago. It feels like it's been forever."_

_I rubbed my head, looked back across at the still-ajar door, and then looked back at my friend. Her eyes were closed now, but I was close enough to see how creased her expression was, a contrast to the calm exhibited around the rest of us. _

"_Hopefully," I said in the end, inadequately. "It won't actually be forever."_

Mirroring Seiko's action all those years ago, I leaned my forehead against the glass, looked down at a world slowly waking up, sunlight already bright. Even so, the glass was cool against my forehead, a great deal nicer than a chunky wooden plank held together by bolts and inexplicably hard to destroy. I'd seen so many stars and sunrises and sunsets since we'd been released, sometimes making a point to, for Seiko's sake. I'd often wondered if the rest of us who had made it out did things like that, but I hadn't been able to ask, thanks to that promise.

Though, now, at least that was changing.

_I had been waiting forever when I heard someone coming in through those doors into the reception area. I flicked my eyes up to see a woman with chin-length brown hair and a yellow knee-length sundress, tapping on a screen, presumably signing herself up. I waited a moment, and then I heard soft footsteps come and stop in front of me._

"_Um, are you waiting for one of the teachers?"_

_The voice. Her voice. It was the same. Less of an accent now, but the same lilting softness to it. I looked up, and the orange-gold of her eyes was exactly the same. Of course, I'd looked at the social media, so it was not as if I'd gone blind, but I felt sure that photograph had been old. And besides, it was not the same. I had to check. _

"_Sadie?"_

_Now, it was her turn to have recognition hit her. It had been clear from the frowns she gave me that she'd been trying to place who I was. I hadn't expected her to be able to recognise me, as I had changed in some pretty significant ways since we'd parted. _

"_Aozaki-kun? Osamu Aozaki-kun."_

_As much as my deadname made me bristle, now wasn't quite the time. That, and it was not as if she could know. I somehow didn't think Sadie was into horror movies. I got up, wanting to hug her, or something, but then I held back. It wasn't the time for that, either. _

"_it's been a while, hasn't it?" I said, trying for casual. _

"_I…why?"_

Why? What do you mean, why?_ But of course, I knew really. No doubt she'd kept strictly to the promise. Even without the loss of a twin or anything, she'd seemed only a few steps away from breaking the way Azami had. I clenched, thinking of what I'd learnt when I had tried to reach out to Azami. Hopefully, when I tried to find her again, she'd be in a better place. But for now, I had to focus on Sadie. _

"_Things have changed. We need to meet up again, all of us. Haven't you heard?"_

_Sadie had a deer-in-the-headlights look about her as she shook her head. She indicated for us to go outside, and once she'd said goodbye to the receptionist, we stood outside the door. I fought the urge to stand closer. _

"_I am not sure what you are referring to….Aozaki-kun." She said cautiously. "I haven't heard anything that would be…well, I don't even know. What's happened? Why are you here?"_

_And there it was, the crux of it all, the thing that had spurred me to take this effort. 20 years of turbulence and flailing, discontent at what we'd all decided, and yet I'd never really tried so hard to change it before. I closed my eyes, then opened them again, and said the words I knew were going to destabilise Sadie. _

"_They're thinking of re-opening Hope's Peak."_

_Sadie's eyes flared. _

"_They…they're what?" she trembled, holding tight to her bag. "They….why? After what happened?"_

"_I'm not fully sure," I said. "But they're hoping…okay, bad choice of words, they're aiming to open next school year. So, next April. "_

"_I…." Sadie's breathing had become shallow, her eyes wide, the trembling more violent. _

"_Sadie…." Appropriate distance be damned, I thought, as I stepped closer, reached out for her. She flinched wildly. _

"_I'm not Sadie." She said. "Not anymore!"_

_The last word became loud, and I noticed a couple of people stare. I hoped they wouldn't recognise me. I didn't often get stopped in the streets anyway, but it had happened a few times. And even with the news being so new, I was already feeling the effects of the increased spotlight. Thankfully, they just stared and went on their way. _

"_Sorry, sorry." I said, quickly, putting my hands up. "What do I call you then?"_

_Sadie looked at me wildly. _

"_Mai."_

"_Oh, your middle name."_

_She nodded at this, then tilted her head slightly. She seemed just a fraction calmer. _Mai, _I repeated to myself. _Mai._ I supposed that if I thought of 'Sadie' as a deadname, then it'd be easier to remember. _Though, speaking of deadnames,_ I thought, _I wonder what the others will make of_…_

"_You're not really 'Aozaki-kun' anymore either. What do I call you now?"_

"_Ayuna." I answered, quickly, glad to get this out of the way. _

"_Ayuna." The way she said it, it sounded like she was rolling the name around in her mouth, feeling the shape of it. "That's pretty."_

"_Thank you. I'll try and remember your new name if you remember that. Though, I think 'Aozaki-kun' is more forgivable than 'Osamu', so as long as you don't do that, we're good."_

"_Alright then…Ayuna."_

_The ghost of a sweet smile, one that the memory of hit straight in my chest. I recalled her carefully packing food into a plastic container, holding out a snack of some sort out when I and a couple of others came nosing around. In a way, being separated from them was worse than the separation from the dead. At least it made sense why I could never see them again. But then Sadie-no, Mai, I had to remember that now-seemed to recall the situation and became drawn and cautious again. _

"_Is it…really true?"_

"_Yes, it is."_

I turned around to see that Ryoko was up, yawning as she headed to the kitchen.

"Ayuna? Is everything alright?" Ryoko stopped abruptly, and crossed over to me instead. She stood next to me, looking out at the same views I did, though without the memories that came with it.

"Yeah, I'm alright, but I was going to bring something up with me for you." I said.

"I know, but I have to be up anyway. Deadlines." Ryoko pulled a face.

I couldn't help but smile wryly at that. At least I had no impending deadlines to deal with, on top of all of this. But now there was a much brighter spotlight to shelter my eyes from, and more pressure.

"I need to see them all again." I muttered.

"Your friends," Ryoko asked, leaning against me supportingly. "Are you going to try and track down more of them today, like you said you would yesterday?"

"Mhm." I said absently. "I have to look through my emails though, and there are some phone calls I need to make. Interviews, and the like. But that's definitely the aim of the day. We need to meet again."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Ayuna." Ryoko squeezed my arm. "I'm sure they're all wishing that you hadn't drifted away, as much as you wish you hadn't drifted away."

_Drifted away._ There was so much about all of this I could never tell Ryoko, that nobody knew. I hated it, that I could not be honest with my wife, but that was how it had to be, in the end. Nobody could know, except the other six who had survived with me-that was what had been decided, and in the end, to follow that was all I could give them.

Most would have assumed that such a thing would bind us closer together, and indeed Ryoko had been surprised to learn I hadn't kept in touch with any of them. A simple drifting away was the only explanation I could offer that would explain it, without giving away the promise.

"_Who cares about the promise anymore? I never wanted it, never!" I cried out. "I should never had had to agree to it. And I know you agreed to it pretty quickly, back then, but surely you didn't want it, either? We were classmates…no, more than that? For all our differences, we were all friends. Right?"_

_Mai frowned, but then nodded slowly._

"_I…it was….it seemed like the best thing. Besides…"_

_Mai tapped her fingers against her lips, a gesture I remembered from before, when sometimes she could not quite recall a word. It didn't happen often-her Japanese had always been good, but with certain terms-especially specifically Lebanese or Brazilian cultural things, or some abstract concept-, she needed a moment to think of the words. It was strange to see how that had not changed. _

"_Everything hurt." she concluded eventually. _

"Ayuna?"

"Oh!" I looked at Ryoko, who was regarding me with concern. "Sorry, breakfast!"

"I can…"

"No, it's alright, really. I got up to make it anyway, and then I…." I gestured to the windows, and Ryoko nodded understandingly.

"It's alright."

**…**

Over breakfast, we talked more, but about Ryoko's work and some possible projects I'd be working on in the future rather than the suddenly returning-past, or my plans to meet everyone. I cleared up while she got her things together, and then I saw her off at the door with a kiss, before retreating to my office. But instead of getting on with what I needed to do, I found myself going over to the windows, staring at a different view, but again, in a way, for Seiko. And to remind myself I wasn't trapped any longer.

"_So, you do understand, don't you?" I said. _

"_I…I think so. But I don't…will meeting really help with that?"_

"_I think it is better than all of us sitting separately, isolated from each other. We were stronger together then, we can be now."_

_That, and perhaps we can finally set the truth free. But I wanted to wait until I saw all their faces again to say that, so I held it back. _

"_Will you help me, Mai?" I asked. "Please?"_

"_I don't really know how I can…."she said. "I've already given you my number and things…"_

"_Mai. Please. "_

_Mai wrapped her arms around herself, seeming 17 again. For some reason, it reminded me of the way in which Seiko would disappear for just a little while back there, to pull herself together. But then, Mai nodded. _

"_Alright."_

I pushed open the top half of the window, leaned out slightly. The summer breeze smelt sweet, and I breathed it in, closing my eyes. Not just for Seiko, my closest friend, but Moeka, Akari, Kimiko, Sen'ya. All of them. All of us. And then, I let the breath out, and with it a vow.

"Let us meet again."

**…**

_Juro_

Normally, I loved my job. Not in the sense of walking in with a huge cheerful grin, ready to tackle the world. A lot of the time, the job was grim, and hard, and thankless. But I loved it. Usually, even with the most darkest and twisted of cases, there was a satisfaction that at least eventually, one day, there would be justice served, closure given. There was always the sense that at least there was one clear right thing to do, and that I would be doing it.

That wasn't the case here, though. There didn't seem to be a clear right. Yes, I wanted the chance to be able to find out just what had happened to those kids and why. But I also wanted Mai to be safe and happy. Her happiness had already been leached with just the news that the investigation would be opening once again, raking back over all those memories. I still hadn't told her about Akio yet, but I knew that wasn't going to help, and that it was only a matter of time before she'd need to know anyway. But…

Azami Kishinami had been more or less catatonic when we'd rescued her, Mai and the other survivors in the abandoned school building. Needing to be shepherded around by the others, barely speaking, usually just mumbling, unaware of her surroundings and glazed-eyed. There was something about Mai, when we'd sat out in the swing, that echoed that state. She'd woken up in the night, caught in a nightmare, even though she managed not to scream, and there'd been a scary, scary moment when I'd woken her up and she'd looked at me as if I was a stranger. She'd pulled herself enough to smile around the kids the next morning, and had insisted on going into work, but still, there'd been a glimmer, or rather a lack of glimmer in her eyes that made me worry-what if she was going that way?

This would already be hard enough on her anyway. How could I throw myself into this investigation the way I did every other, bringing it home and making it worse? How?

As I climbed up the stairs to Towa Central station, I sighed, and pulled myself together. This was why I was in, after all. Hopefully before the meeting, I'd be able to meet with a senior and ask to be excused. They couldn't refuse me, not with two close connections to the case.

"Good morning!" I called to the uniformed officer manning the front desk once I was in.

"Good morning, Detective." He grinned back. "How are you? How 's the wife and kids?"

"I'm fine," I said, lightly, as if this was the same as any other day. "They're fine, too."

"Good, good."

A few more officers in the room behind poked their heads out to greet me-some I knew vaguely, others I didn't know at all-before they disappeared again, working at the sorts of tasks uniformed officers-especially the newbies-usually did.

"_And, well,-"_

_The door opened suddenly, and whatever my friend had been about to say to me died on his lips as a man most of us recognised as a senior homicide detective looked around the room. Eventually, he faced the Police Sergeant who was in charge of our cohort. _

"_Ishihara, I need five of your brightest uniforms ASAP."_

_Ishihara opened her mouth, and then closed it again. _

"_What is it you need them for?"_

"_The 78-B disappearances." He said, tersely. "I need five, Ishihara!"_

_A ripple went around the room-the 78-B disappearances. No elaboration was needed, we all knew what that referred to, and how already the case was proving to be confounding. I held my breath, wondering what would happen next. _

"_Well…" Ishihara frowned, and then rattled four names in quick succession-all officers who showed promise, as we all knew well. _

_Then she pursed her lips, looking around at all of us. I noticed some averting their eyes, other looking eager, others trying to stay cool. I was in that last category, but in truth, I was more like the second. Ishihara's gaze fell upon me, and I startled. She stared at me, and I felt myself go slightly red. _

"_Take Arisato-kun too," she said, turning back to the detective. "He's a bright one."_

I continued on and upwards and wondered which uniformed officers we'd be pulling in to help us with the 78-B case, this second time around. And who would be picking them. I hoped that it would not be me.

Continuing upstairs, rather than going straight to the Captain's office, I decided to pop into the incident room that was being commandeered for the investigation. To my surprise, the board at the front was already being filled, and more things were being pinned up. By the Captain himself. I stood and watched for a moment as carefully, painstakingly, photographs of Class 78B were put up-a school ID photograph, along with one more casual photograph, given to us by family or sometimes friends. The Kishinami twins had one casual shot between them-the grinning selfie that had been taken on the mini-bus and posted to social media, one of the last communications any of the class made before they had disappeared.

There was also a copy of a photograph of Moeka and Kimiko standing together outside Hope's Peak on their first day, the year before they disappeared and died-Moeka beaming, bright pink flower in her black hair and arm around the more reserved Kimiko, whose green eyes seemed all-knowing. _Body buddies- _I remembered hearing someone refer to them as such, but I could not remember who. Perhaps it had come from one of the girls themselves? Still, body buddies. There was something painful about the carefreeness of that label, the way it played with sounds.

Apparently, Moeka's father had been the one to take that picture, but it had been Kimiko's father who'd given it to us to use. I remembered him coming up to this very incident room from the labs instead of going home for the night, face drawn, holding out the photograph like it was a relic, or a prayer, willing to give up something so precious if it would help. Of course, we'd photocopied it and let him have the original. In the end, it would be all he'd have of her. So much had been lost back then, and the photograph was just one symbol of that.

"_Oh, hi! I'm Moeka Kamiya, my Dad's the Medical Examiner here. This is Kimiko, her dad's also in Forensics here, and she does stuff too, right, Kimiko-Chan?"_

"_Yes, that's right. I'm Kimiko Tsukuda, it's lovely to meet you…"_

"_Arisato. Juro Arisato. I've just been assigned here."_

"_Oh, a new officer? I've known most of the Forensics department since I was five, and of course, one of them is my father-Kenichi Tsukuda. If you haven't met him yet, you will. They're all really good at what they do, especially Dad." Kimiko said, brightening. _

"_You'll also be seeing Kimiko-Chan here a lot too!" Moeka piped up. "Though not me, so much, I'm following in Mum's footsteps rather than Dad's…speaking of which, I've gotta go now! Bye, Kimiko-Chan, Officer!"_

"_Bye, Moeka-chan."_

_The black haired girl swiftly ran away, and I was left staring at the blond girl, who seemed to become a little more sombre now her friend-or so I assumed-wasn't there. _

"_Well, I'd best be going. There's a skeleton for me to study. It was good to meet you."_

"_Uh…you too."_

_I blinked as Kimiko, too, disappeared, but in the opposite direction, down to where the morgue was. I certainly had not expected to be encountering a teenage girl in here. I made a note to ask someone about her (or both of them, for that matter), and continued on my way. _

Just as the Captain pinned up the two photos of Mai (the casual one was of her at a performance, mid-spin, holding those wooden clappers up in the air), he appeared to notice me out of the corner of his eye and straightened to look at me.

"Arisato."

"Sir."

Taken aback for a moment, all I could think to do was walk over, and pick up a collection of papers, and help with the sticking up. But a few minutes later, I knew that I could not hesitate. The others would be arriving soon.

"I need to be excused from the investigation."

The Captain sized me up for a moment, his narrow eyes piercing.

"Why?"

"W-why?"

I had not been expecting that, but from the unchanging expression, I knew that he was utterly serious.

"Well, as you know, Sarah Mai Hashiri is now Mai Arisato, my wife…" I gestured towards the photograph of her. "On top of that, I've just learnt that my son is being accepted into New Hope's Peak. That would be a major conflict of interest."

"The answer is no." he said, without thinking about it.

"I-" I swallowed down an anguished protest. "May I ask why?"

"This is not a typical investigation. There was nothing orthodox about the case before, and there's even less so now. While you will not be expected to interview your wife, for example, your perspective and knowledge on the original case will be things we need. If things are uncovered during the investigation that, for example, make her a suspect, then of course we will follow more conventional procedures regarding close relatives of involved persons. Though, you're the last person to talk about that, really."

I knew he was referring to me having offered Mai a place to stay. And yes, while indirectly, that had led us to where we were today, I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. The love had come to be only after, after she was 18, after she had moved out, after getting back into touch after the move had caused her to drift away. He knew that, everyone on my team and in this department knew that. I took a deep breath, prepared to make my case further, when the Captain continued.

"Besides, we need all the help we can get. You were useful, back then, what with recognising the potential significant of the van accident, as well as other things."

"I…I see."

"That should settle matters for you. Now, since you're here early, you can help put up the rest of the incident board while I handle the digital aspect."

"Yes, sir."

_Sorry, Mai. _

We did just that, and gradually, the other detectives and other professionals drifted in, talking and sitting around the table. One of them came to me, and helped me put up the last of the papers and photographs.

"Looks the same as back then." He muttered.

"Does it?" I asked, conversationally.

Kenichi Tsukuda simply looked at me, the bags under his green eyes-identical to his late daughter's- seeming more prominent than usual. He slowly and deliberately pinned up one more sheet, then looked at the photograph of Kimiko-the solo one, rather than the one with her and Moeka, and touched it briefly, before going to sit down, curling his scarred hands around the coffee cup he'd left on the table.

"Alright, we'll get started now." The Captain announced, walking to the digital board. "As I'm sure you all know, Hope's Peak has made public their intention to re-open next academic year, not least by starting to issue invitations. They had of course, contacted us about the possibility of re-opening the investigation, but their determination to move forward does put pressure on us to do so."

"So, basically, the only reason that the investigation is being re-opened is because Hope's Peak wants free reign to put more children in danger." Tsukuda said. "As opposed to new evidence coming in, or someone making a confession."

"Neither of these things have happened though." Someone pointed out.

Again, he gave that hundred-mile stare.

"Tsukuda, please do not make me regret allowing you into this meeting, let alone the entire investigation." The Captain said.

"I'm not making anyone do anything," Tsukuda shot back. "I just don't want history to fucking repeat itself."

He sat back after that, taking a sip on his coffee.

"Well, regardless, we take what we are given." The Captain said. "And since we've been given this opportunity to actually solve this case, I expect everyone to work on it to the best of their abilities. "

"Who is going to be leading?" someone asked.

"Is it going to be Detective Arisato?"

"No, it won't be. However, I will be asking him to select someone from his team to be the lead. However, that is for the day-to-day details, as I will be personally overseeing the case myself."

_You…will…._I wasn't sure which of these things were the most surprising to me.

"I'll get onto that once the meeting is finished." I said, quickly, feeling myself blush.

"Very well."

The next part of the meeting covered the different possible avenues we needed to explore and reopen, including tracking down those originally involved, including the staff of the old Hope's Peak and various other witnesses. There were also the families, and the survivors themselves, to inform about the investigation, and support to be allocated as needed.

"I've already arranged for Kimiko's body to be exhumed." Tsukuda said at one point, when talk of the autopsy reports came up. "She would have wanted to be of use, one way or another. Though, her death wasn't one of the torture-based ones, so …"

Tsukuda clamped up after that. For a moment there was a respectful silence. After all, as I'd come to learn after my initial encounter with Kimiko, the girl had been a second daughter to most of the Forensics Department, and the relevant police departments that interacted with it on a daily basis.

"It will help, one way or another." I tried to be reassuring.

"Yes, well, as long as we actually get justice this time." Tsukuda muttered.

More points were discussed, including an official press conference that the Captain was setting up with Media Relations, that would, if all things went well, be that very afternoon. Eventually, the meeting began to wrap up, when unexpectedly, Tsukuda spoke up.

"Oh, by the way, Kamiya-san already knows."

There was a silence. _Kamiya. _There was no doubt about who Tsukuda was referring to. Tetsuji Kamiya, father of Moeka. That girl had not been quite an additional daughter the same way Kimiko had been-after all, as she'd said to me when I'd encountered her,-just a couple of years before the two of them would end up in Hope's Peak-she had focused more on her mother's side of things. But still, by virtue of being family of one of our own, she had become one of our own too. It was one of the few clichés of law enforcement that was true-that the harm or death of one of our own, and their families, always hit hard, and would always be pursued that much harder.

But, considering where we all were now, Tetsuji Kamiya must have thought that truth pretty flimsy.

_"Just TRY to get rid of me. I'm not leaving without answers."_

The words knocked around in my head, and it took me a moment to realise that the Captain had responded to Tsukuda, to his credit not rising to the slight taunt that was in the pathologist's voice, despite the fact he was holding himself very, very still.

"Oh, and how come?"

"I told him," Tsukuda said, evenly. "He would be finding out anyway, and does he not deserve to know? That, and he'd have got it out of either me or Harada-kun eventually."

"Wouldn't it have been better to tell him the same time as all the other family members?" someone asked.

"Once one of us, always one of us, isn't that what you all always say?" Tsukuda asked.

"I can't imagine that he's particularly mellowed out over the years, though." That same person objected.

"Would you have, though, if it was you?" I asked. "I think it was a kind thing for Tsukuda-san to do, all things considered. Though I can appreciate the fact it might cause complications."

"Yes, well…regardless of Kamiya's former employment here, we treat him the same as any other civilian." The Captain decreed. "That includes you, too, Tsukuda."

Tsukuda nodded at this, but it didn't take even a detective to work out that he probably wasn't. Or, at least, he'd interpret that in a way that suited him. After all, even if he was here, and Kamiya was not, in the end they had more in common than they didn't.

Luckily, the Captain swiftly moved on, and in time the meeting was finished. We got up to go to wherever else we needed to be, and I decided that I should look for Tsukuda, to say something to him. Something understanding and reassuring, so that he'd know he was not the only one who was being stretched in two directions –speaking of which, what would I say to Mai? _Oh, well, I can't really do that until I get home…_

But, by the time I turned to look for him, he had already gone.

**…**

_Rieka_

"MUM! I'm going to visit Uncle Matsuo!" I called out as I put on my red ribbon-bow sandals.

"Are you taking Nicky with you?" she called back from somewhere back in the house.

"Nope, he's at his friend's house, remember? The birthday party?"

"Oh yes, that's right. I'm so used to you taking Nicky everywhere!"

I rolled my eyes at that. Yes, I took good care of my little brother, but we weren't joined at the hip or anything like that. That, and the reason I was off to visit Uncle Matsuo wasn't just for fun anyway.

"But anyway," Mum continued. "Take care, and be back for dinner!"

"I will!"

I quickly picked up my cat handbag and opened the door, and left the house. As I rushed round the corners and across streets, the bells on my cat-eared hairband jangled, causing some people to stare, and a few others to be startled. Naturally, I apologised to the little kid I almost bumped into, but apart from that, I didn't pay them any heed. If they wanted to stare, they could stare.

Soon, I was at the house where my uncle lived with my aunt, and I rung the doorbell. It took a few moments, but soon, Aunt Chihomi opened the door.

"Oh, this is a nice surprise!" she said. "Come in, come in!"

"Hi, Aunt Chihomi!" I replied, coming in and taking off my shoes. "is Uncle Matsuo awake?"

"Yes, he's had a good day, overall. I can't stay to chat with you unfortunately-I am supposed to be _working _from home, but I'll get you some snacks real quick!"

"Who's at the door, Chihomi?" I heard my uncle ask, the words slightly muffled and stiff, but still understandable,.

"Why, it's your favourite niece!" I said.

"Oh, is that so? Come on in, then."

I grinned, and went to the living room while my aunt went to the kitchen. Matsuo was sitting in his favourite armchair, watching some random reality TV show-though I doubt he was _actually_ watching it, because who actually_ likes_ that trashy stuff? But in any case, he turned it off once I threw myself on the armchair next to him.

"So then, favourite niece, what brings you here?"

I grinned, practically bursting with excitement at the news I had. I opened my bag and pulled out the letter I had received a few days ago, before handing it to him.

"You'll never believe this!"

Matsuo took it, and with somewhat trembling fingers, he opened the envelope and pulled the letter out. It took him a few moments to be able to unfold and smooth it out, but I didn't step in to help-he wouldn't have liked it. Once he had it open, he read it thoughtfully. Then, carefully, he rested the letter on his knee, and seared me with an intense look. I imagined that he would have looked at potential suspects in much the same way, back in the day, but it didn't faze me.

"It's jumping the gun a little, don't you think, already inviting students in before the investigation has even properly started?" He said, slowly.

"How did you-right, forget I asked that." I rolled my eyes. _Use your brain, Riri!_

"Yes, some old contacts phoned and told me about it." He said. "I obviously cannot actually investigate anymore, but I'm going to advise them where I can. I'll have to get all my old notes out."

"What about me? Can I have them?"

"You?"

"Yes, me." I leaned forward, played with my ponytail a little. "Don't you see, I'm in the perfect place to have a go at solving it myself."

Matsuo raised an eyebrow, but then nodded.

"I'm not surprised, somehow."

"Well, of course you aren't?" I said, huffily. "If you were still working, you'd be all over it! But since you can't, I may as well, right?"

_But even if you don't think that, I'm going to do it anyway. _UncleMatsuo looked as if he was going to warn me off, but then he shook his head, and thought a while more before eventually speaking.

"That case…nothing about it made any sense, even before we found them. After that, it made even less sense. It wasn't like any other mass-kidnapping or mass-killing case that I'd ever seen, or any that I saw after. And those teenagers….well, they were definitely hiding something. I don't think that they were guilty of anything, necessarily, but they were hiding something significant that would no doubt be the key to it all."

"But maybe they'll spill now? Like, it's been twenty years."

"I don't know about that, Rieka," Uncle Matsuo said. "Sometimes all that time going by without saying anything makes it harder to decide to change that. They might have doubled down on those secrets after all this time. So, whatever you do, you need to be careful."

"I'm not stup-"

"You need to be _careful,_ Rieka. This isn't like the museum case you managed to crack, or any of the other ones you've worked with online. I can't stop you from digging-heck, part of me would be grateful-but whatever you do, be careful. Don't go off all renegade like your stereotypical damaged cop."

"Ugh, I _hate_ that trope. It has its place, but not _every _law enforcement person needs to be, like, horribly traumatised to care about something."

It was not as bad as some of the tropes out there, but still. _UGHHHHHHH._

"Have a team with you, or someone to work with." Uncle Matsuo continued, as if I hadn't said anything. "If I was healthy enough to dig into this, I wouldn't do it alone."

I forced myself to not lament horrific tropes and focused back on the situation at hand. _And where, exactly, am I supposed to find a team? _Still, my uncle knew what he was about, so I supposed I couldn't just dismiss it and carry on heedlessly.

"Sure, sure, I will," I sighed, before leaning forward. "So, can I have them, then?"

Uncle Matsuo gave a heavy sigh, and gave me a heavy-eyed look. Eventually, he sighed and closed his eyes.

"Alright then."

Just at that moment, Aunt Chihomi came in with a tray.

"Oooh, nice, thanks!" I said, eyeing the sweet treats on the tray, and grabbing one.

"Chihomi, do me a favour. Can you get the red shoebox from the cabinet? You know, the one the boots came in?"

"I know the one," Aunt Chihomi rolled her eyes fondly. "Why do you need it today?"

"I'm giving it to Rieka, of course."

"I…" Aunt Chihomi blinked, apparently taken aback, but then she sighed. "Do you not want to save it for your former colleagues?"

"Oh, nothing in there is anything they haven't got already. As for my own notes, they're all up here" he tapped his head. "Haven't lost my mind yet."

"Perhaps those notes could be photocopied? Or, I know, I'll scan them and send them back to you!" I exclaimed.

Uncle Matsuo thought about it, then nodded. Aunt Chihomi just shook her head, and sighed.

"Alright, I'll be back in a tick."

She left, and sure enough, she was back in a tick, brandishing the shoe box I had seen quite a few times during my life. But I'd never been allowed to look in it myself, let alone keep it. Every time, Uncle Matsuo had been in control of what was shown to me, and what he held back. I had the sense to realise that this was for a good reason. From what I knew, the entire incident had been horrible as well as mysterious. Still, I was a big girl now. That, and I was hardly going to back down now.

"There you go," she said, mock dramatically as she handed it over to me. "I'd better get back to my work now!"

"Alright, thanks Aunt Chihomi!"

With glee, I regarded the box, gripping it tightly as I examined it from all angles. It was more than a red shoe box crammed with papers and photographs and other such things. It was a puzzle. A bizarre, dark, messed up puzzle, and one with a big story behind it too. When I solved the puzzle, that, too, would be a big story.

And I couldn't wait to begin it.

**…**

With a big sigh, I took the last sheet out of the scanner, and then went back to the box, rearranging everything I had taken out so it all fitted in. It was tempting to do the thing you saw detectives in movies and all that doing, pinning everything up on a big board, connecting bits and pieces of evidence with red strings. I actually had a board on my wall that could do the job. But of course, my parents probably wouldn't be too pleased to see crime scene photographs on my wall, and most importantly, I didn't really want to traumatise Nicky.

That and my pin board was currently filled with cute postcards, and photographs of family and friends, and the occasional random trinket. Much as I was pumped for this mystery, I wasn't prepared to give that up.

Once everything was put away, I put the lid on firmly, and then took the box and put it in the bottom drawer of my desk, before then proceeding to email all the scanned things back to Uncle Matsuo, as I had promised. There were too many to send in one email, and even then it proved to be slow, so I wondered how best to kill the time. I wasn't quite in the mood to go back to my channel and check in on things today-there was no reason why my little break couldn't extend through to the rest of today. Perhaps I could scout on the amateur sleuth forums for anything, remind myself if anything there matched Uncle Matsuo's conjectures. _The hill of orchestrated tragedies, _he'd written about the location the class had been taken too, which was unusually poetic of him, if slightly inaccurate-best I could tell of the pictures it was a slight incline more than anything. But still, orchestrated tragedy sounded about right. As much as it was a little Captain Obvious to say so, it was clear that whatever had happened there, and whyever it had happened, it had been meticulously planned, even from before the announcement of the new era's name and the party that was supposed to have been held to celebrate it. It had been orchestrated.

I let out a breath, and leant back in my chair for a moment, before opening my top drawer and taking out my letter and looking for the information on how to sign up to the Student Portals. Opening a new tab, I entered the website, then followed the procedures to sign up, and then found myself on the home page.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, there was little about the actual tragedy itself, except a brief mention in a page about 'History' and a link to a press conference in the 'Videos' page (though, to be fair, the 'History' page had also mentioned that it was 'hoped that some closure will be gained in time for the grand re-opening ceremony'). For all they were making a big deal of it, who really wanted to mainly be remembered for something like this?

_Well, they will be, if I have anything to do with it…_

Not finding anything to capture my interested, I went to the forums. Not many people had signed up yet-presumably, not all the invites had arrived yet. There was an 'introduce yourself' thread, so I went on that and bashed out a few cheery lines before I then scrolled back up to look at the other introductions. The fact there was an SHSL Lucky Student this time around caught my eye, as I hadn't expected that, but apart from seeming nice enough, there wasn't anything particularly outstanding about him. Still, I made a point of memorising his name as I read a couple more introductions that didn't interest me at all, and then….

"WAIT WHAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?"

With the shock, I barely managed to keep my voice down. As it was, it was definitely more of a whisper-screech, but…_him, he's going to be my classmate? UGHHHHHHHHH. _I sighed, and rubbed my face.

"Well, I'll just have to show him, won't I?" I muttered to myself once I felt…a little calmer.

I clicked out of the thread, and browsed the forum pages in general. Something in the guidelines talked about 'getting to know each other' and 'organising possible meetups' and it made my brain whirr.

"_Have a team with you, or someone to work with." Uncle Matsuo continued, as if I hadn't said anything. "If I was healthy enough to dig into this, I wouldn't do it alone."_

A team…I'd thought it ridiculous, but what if it was easier to find a team? After all, I wasn't the only person about to be the first to attend New Hope's Peak. There would be others, and surely at least some of them would be interested. That, and I had to admit, it sounded exciting, being part of a gang roving around to solve mysteries. Like, all the best mysteries with kids or teens as the mystery-solvers-Haruchika, Scooby Do, the Famous Five etc. etc.-they all consisted of little gangs, a friendly crew to solve the mysteries with.

And I had the potential to find such a gang right here, at my fingertips.

I read through the instructions on how to create a new thread, and then I clicked on the relevant thing to bring up a new one. The cursor in the topic heading flashed, and I grinned devilishly once more, before putting my fingers back to my keyboard, and typing.

_Hey, who wants to solve THE mystery?_

* * *

**Characters introduced this chapter:**

_**Survivors**_**  
****Ayuna Aozaki, former SHSL Radio Show Host (created by: Lupus Overkill)**

_**Investigators**_**  
****Kenichi Tsukuda, forensic scientist (created by: CandiedStars)**

_**Prospectives**_**  
****Rieka Amasaki, SHSL Booktuber (created by: Prince PokePersona)**

_**Victims**_

**Moeka Kamiya, former SHSL Mortician (created by: Treeja)  
Seiko Yamamoto, former SHSL Director (created by: Lupus Overkill)  
Kimiko Tsukuda, former SHSL Forensic Anthropologist (created by: CandiedStars)**

* * *

**Lots of OCs intro-ed this chapter! Wasn't quite expecting this to turn out as long as it did, but hey! If you're a creator of one of them, hope you like their debut appearances and think I did them right. **

**But anyway, first things first-I REALLY need more submissions, particularly Prospectives and Investigators (though I am definitely in need of more Victims). I'm pretty happy with the candidate pool for the remaining Survivor spots I need to fill in, but I am happy to get more options, so if you are working on a Survivor no need to stop until, well, the SYOC is closed. Speaking of which, I am officially _extending the deadline by a week_ from the original, making the new one July 21st. Hopefully this will give everyone, regardless of if you're newly deciding to make an OC or still in the process of doing so, more than enough time. In terms of other types I'd like to receive-well, if you are interested in sending me a Survivor or Victim I'd prefer male or NB, but again, if you are already making a good female idea, no need to stop. I'd also be interested in seeing more Victims that were Killed rather than Blackened. **

**I'll be making a few more cast selections on the date of the old deadline, and possible one or two here or there in the week between that and the new extended deadline. Then I'll make the rest hopefully once I have closed the SYOC-speaking of which, as long as it is still July 21st in your timezone, you can still send it on the day itself. I will probably switch the plot summary to 'Closed' in the morning according to my timezone, but yeah, as I said, if it is still July 21st in your zone, send it. **

**That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to whatever submissions might come to me. **


	5. On That Day, It Rained

**Just a reminder that the final deadline for this is the 28th of July (this Sunday!). I'm not being picky about timezones/times, so as long as it's still the 28th somewhere, you have that time. I will make some cast selections on that day itself, and the rest over the course of a few days after that. But anyway, enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Kenichi_

The short-term rental apartment that Tetsuji Kamiya was staying in was part of a new building. I certainly hadn't seen it before, but then again I hadn't been in this part of Towa for a little while now. I knew the city well-being part of its police force kind of made that necessary, but it had never been mine, really. I (and, for a happy while a long time ago, Kimiko) had lived in the next town over. It'd been Tetsuji's though, even if it was a long time ago, which was no doubt the explanation for how he'd managed to find this place. Certainly, one of the many hotels Towa had on offer wouldn't cut it.

Instead of pressing the doorbell for the relevant apartment number-7-I took out my mobile and selected Tetsuji's number to call before holding it up to my ear.

"I'm standing outside the place you're staying at."

"I told you, you didn't need to come." His raspy voice retorted.

_And I told you there'd be no point in coming. _I decided not to say that, mostly because it would have had about as much effect as it had when I'd actually told him. That, and honestly? When it came down to it, I was more on his side than the investigation. Sure, if it yielded the truth, that would be great, but I didn't believe it would. If even the best efforts had revealed nothing, then what would happen now? It was just grandstanding. I didn't understand how a school that had been shut down in disgrace _twenty years ago_ still had so much power.

_But still…._ There was Kimiko to think about. She may have been dead, but she was still my daughter.

"Well, I'm here."

"Come on up then."

I hung up, and headed up the stairs to Apartment 7. Tetsuji was sitting on the front step, smoking a cigarette, frowning. The frown was more a grim one, rather than blazing with anger, like I had expected. Even though I'd spoken to him on the phone sporadically over the last 20 years, we had never actually interacted in person until now, and I was shocked-though not necessarily surprised-to notice that his hair had gained a lot more white in it, though there were still some traces of the youthful black. And where he had been clean-shaven before, he now sported a beard and moustache. He looked up as my shadow fell across him, and narrowed his eyes before he took the cigarette from his mouth, put it out on the doorstep and stood up. With only a nod to acknowledge me, he opened the door and ushered me in.

"Nice to see you too." I muttered as I took my shoes off.

Tetsuji simply grunted, and once he locked the door, he led me to the living room. He sat himself down on the one sofa-a generically coloured, sad looking thing-and I sat down on what appeared to be a dining room chair. He dropped the cigarette he'd put out into an ash tray already on the small coffee table.

"Did you see the press conference?" he asked.

"No, I was doing things for other cases." I said. "Did you watch it?"

I looked over at the small television, and presumed he had. Sure enough, he nodded.

"It's really real then, isn't it?"

"Would you have come here if there was a hint it wasn't?"

"You take what you get." Tetsuji scoffed. "Anything, You should know that."

I shrugged, and there was a silence for a while. Despite all we had in common, and all that we'd once had, in truth there was more these days that we didn't have in common. I still worked in Forensics, he no longer did. I hadn't wanted this, he had. He had spiralled, I had not. _Though, that isn't saying much, is it? _Apart from my job, Kimiko had been my driving force, and so for twenty years my life had been half-empty. I'd always hated the whole glass-half-full/glass-half-empty analogy, but I'd grown to hate it even more.

"Are you going to see your ex?" I asked.

"Why would I do that?" Tetsuji asked, apparently baffled.

"She was Moeka-chan's mother, after all. And you were married."

If I'd known where Kimiko's mother was, I'd have called her myself. Then again, she could have done the same with me. But she hadn't been around for Kimiko's whole life, and that hadn't changed when she'd gone missing, hadn't changed when she was found dead. Yet, Tetsuji and Hanami had had each other, at the very least, and look how things had ended up. I couldn't help but feel a little resentful of that.

We stared at each other. A different emotion flickered on Tetsuji's face, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by the scowl that I was starting to realise was his default expression these days. Not that I could judge.

"Yes, well." Tetsuji cleared his throat. "That was a long time ago. She's moving on."

_And, you're not._ Then again, neither was I.

"You should probably still…do something." I pressed.

"That's not what I'm here for." Tetsuji said, glowering at me.

I sighed, knowing there was no point in pressing it. I supposed Hanami would be aware of the investigation reopening now, if she hadn't been before. And sooner or later, Tetsuji's presence would be made known. Which was why I was here, visiting even though he'd said not to. Perhaps I was hoping that me being in contact, giving him information, would limit his impulse to interfere directly.

But, looking around me at the boxes I had paid little attention to before, when I'd first walked in, I realised that was wishful thinking.

"There hasn't been much," I said with a sigh. "You can imagine how it was, all about Hope's Peak, just establishing the hierarchy, all that whatever. Though, the tech department are getting to work on those tablet things-they're thinking that now they might be able to crack them."

"You're talking about the so-called 'Electro ID' things." He said, nodding.

"Those are the ones."

"Has anything else of note been done?"

"Mostly just dragging everything back up from the archive and getting people on it. I've been running tests on some of the clothing, for example. The main investigative team has been established too. Oh, and they've had people out informing the survivors, and the other victims' families."

"So, basically, nothing."

I said nothing to this. On the one hand, it was the first day. On the other hand, I agreed.

"Well, I won't be letting _anythin_g on my end slide. If there's even the tiniest little speck of dirt that could give us an answer now, I or one of my team _will_ find it. "

Tetsuji nodded at that. He clasped his hands together briefly, then unclasped them and looked back at me.

"Who _are_ the detectives on the case? Are they trustworthy?"

"Well….." I considered. "At the meeting, Detective Arisato was the only one with a smidgen of fucking compassion. He's generally a good detective, and he's had good results, but he's not the lead."

"Whyever not?"

"Because he's married to one of the survivors."

"Yes, that'd do it. " Tetsuji said after a moment. "So, who is?"

"Couldn't you tell from the press conference?" I snarked.

"…"

I sighed and rubbed my face tiredly before I answered.

"Well…there isn't one person who is the lead-"

I was just about to launch into the rather complicated back and forth that had surrounded who would be the lead when suddenly, my stomach rumbled. I raised an eyebrow at Tetsuji, who grumbled slightly before getting up with little more than a brusque 'wait' by way of explanation and leaving the room. Once again, I looked around me, at all the boxes. I resisted the urge to go through, wondering what it was Tetsuji had found, what conclusions he had drawn.

"_Oh, hey, Kamiya-san, what's up?"_

_I put down the sample that I had been testing and bounded over to Tetsuji, who shifted uncomfortably. _

"_Have you heard from Kimiko?" _

"_I-" my cheer faltered as I thought of my daughter. "I think….she did send a text…."_

_I pulled my mobile phone out from my labcoat pocket-strictly speaking, I wasn't meant to have it with me, but as long as we weren't doing dangerous procedures, and we weren't distracted, the higher-ups turned a blind eye. Which was pretty useful now, as I tapped onto my messages, and looked for the thread from Kimiko. _

"'_Hi Dad, we're in Fukuchiyama right now, Moeka-chan found an oni museum and we're going to have a look around there-we're not staying the night here though" I read. _

_Since there were also a couple of pictures, I showed Tetsuji these briefly, and then turned the phone screen back to me, chuckling slightly over the pictures, before remembering the situation. _

"_That was….oh. Fuck. They sent that on the 8__th__. And they were meant to be back two days ago, right?"_

"_Yeah, 13__th__ or 14__th __in case of traffic or something, Moeka told me," Tetsuji said. "Are you sure you haven't got anything from after the 8__th__?"_

"_I thought I had…."_

_Desperately, I tapped Kimiko's name, then selected the function to make a call. I held the phone to my ear, listened desperately, waiting for her to pick up. Instead, it went straight to voicemail. _

"_Kimiko, it's Dad. Um, you haven't sent me anything in a while, so I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Call or message me as soon as you get this, okay? Oh, and ask Moeka-chan to do the same with her dad too, alright? Oh, and Jim-Bob says hi." _

_Tetsuji had raised an eyebrow at my reference to the plastic life-sized skeleton model-Kimiko had named it when she was a little girl-but beyond that, he was as restless as before. Anxiety clouded his face, mirroring my own state. How had I failed to notice that Kimiko hadn't contacted me for so long? I hung up, then slipped my phone back into my pocket, and looked at Tetsuji. _

"_I…I think we're going to have to report them missing, don't you?"_

"_Yeah…."_

I was abruptly startled by Tetsuji returning. He had two cans of beer in one hand, and a bowl of what looked like mixed nuts in another. He set them down, and sat down heavily. I grabbed some nuts at random, shoved them into my mouth, then cracked open a can of beer and washed them down. Tetsuji, to his credit, waited before peppering me with more questions. But eventually, there seemed to be no more to say, at least for today.

"Well, suppose I'd better be going." I said.

Tetsuji simply nodded. I didn't expect him to come to let me out, but he did.

"I've been waiting for this for twenty years."

Startled at the whispered words, one foot out of the door and one still in, I turned and regarded him. I wasn't sure we'd ever been friends, as such. But still…we'd been united, sparking the first concerns for our children and their friends, sharing in the worry and fear, and then the pain when they weren't one of the seven. And even as he'd spiralled, he'd still had the presence of mind to attend Kimiko's funeral, as I had done for Moeka's. I couldn't understand the way he had gone, but surely, in all the ways that mattered, he was still a mirror to me?

"I know." I said, simply.

There was little else to say. Tetsuji nodded, expression closing off once more. I stepped out properly, and he closed the door behind me. With a sigh, I looked up at the sky. It was completely dark now, but there was a vague suggestion of rain in the shape of the clouds. Not wholly unexpected, since it was the tail end of the rainy season. But, despite my lack of superstition, I could not help but wonder if this was a sign of things to come.

"Well, rain or shine, things are going to happen anyway, aren't they?" I muttered to myself.

I shook the silliness from my mind firmly, reminded myself that this all would at least get some semblance of justice for Kimiko if I was lucky, and then I went on my way.

**…**

_Azami_

_Steam, rising. Soft voice murmuring 'here', hands curving mine around a cup, pushing it upwards. Warmth blooming across my face, warm spicy tastes on my tongue. Lift cup, sip, gulp, swallow,my hands remember the motion, and the other hands move away from mine. Murmuring, around me. _

_The murmuring gets louder. My hands shake. Lift cup, sip, gulp, swallow. Lift cup, sip, gulp, swallow. Shouting-"come on!" "quickly!". The cup is gone, I am pulled to my feet. Running, running. So much noise. Words, but I don't know what they are. Running, running, hand clamped around my wrist. It hurts, but I can't get the words out. Shoes, clattering against the flooring and then…light? Why is it so bright? Try to stop, keep getting pulled and then…._

_The hand leaves my wrist, and everything is wet. Water, dropping all over me. Turn my head up…up to the sky? The sky. _

"_It's..raining?"_

"_Yes, Azami-chan, it is raining."_

"_Azami?"_

_I look around. Eizo-chi, Sadie-chan, Aozaki-kun…..Eizo-chi, Sadie-chan, Aozaki-kun…I keep repeating this, looking, looking, looking. _

_But I can't see her. _

A lot of my memories were not even memories, not in the strictest sent, but they'd been bouncing around my head all day. I was never one for sticking around after work to socialise-no matter how much my perky younger colleague Nagisa asked-but today, more than ever, I had to get out of there. I think David noticed, from the look I noticed him give as we passed each other in the doorway to our floor, but that, of course, was neither here nor there. I'd never told him about anything to do with back then, and of course these days there was even less reason to do so.

But…Hope's Peak was reopening. And more than that, the investigation they had into what happened to me and to Akari and to everyone else, that was reopening too. Which meant that they'd be wanting to talk to me. Wanting to go back over it. My not-quite-memory-memories had made it hard enough to get through the day-how would I manage to talk about them?

I gathered up the white shirt and black skirt I'd worn to work, and left the bedroom to put them in the wash. Kneeling down by the washing machine, I stared into it for a long, long moment. _What do I do? What do I do? _ My mind kept pulling me back to that moment-that momentary re-recognition of my friend's faces, how I looked and looked for Akari's but couldn't find it. I think, after that, my blind completely blanked. I remembered the word promise, and once again the motion of someone pulling my hand somewhere, and I was sure I remembered the relief in my parents voices. But that was it, until one day I resurfaced and I was alone, surrounded by photographs and the sinking feeling that it should have been me who'd died.

"Meeeeeee."

"Oh, Jiji." I blinked, startled, as my cat came over and nuzzled me. "Feel free to sit on my skirt now. I'm not putting the machine on now."

Of course, Jiji did not. Instead, as I forced myself up and went to my small living room, he followed. And when I curled up on the sofa, he clambered onto my lap, presumably detecting that I wasn't feeling great. Or it could've just been he wanted attention, which was also possible. Either way, I was happy to absently stroke him while I tried and failed to watch something vaguely feel-good on Netflix, until my phone went off to remind me to eat dinner.

Jiji mewled in protest when I turfed him off my lap, but I ignored it as I went to the kitchen, and looked for something to eat. I eventually found a sad-looking ready meal, and as it heated up, I poured out some food for Jiji (which soon stopped his cat-style-moping). Then, once it was ready, I sat at the table, and picked at it while my mind continued to whir.

All of these years, they'd been such a battle. Slowly, slowly inching myself towards something that looked like a life. Gradually managing to make myself believe that it was still worth something, to live without Akari. Painfully approaching the minimum requirements of functional. I was still really only half a person, and I'd needed so much help to get here, but get here I had.

And now, it was coming undone.

The past was coming back to haunt me.

I forced myself to take a spoonful of my food. It tasted like nothing. It would have been less bother to not eat, but I knew I couldn't go down that route. So I took another mouthful, and then another. _Waking up, turning over and murmuring Akari's name, no response. _Another mouthful, and another. _Sleepiness abruptly gone, sitting up to see the other side of my bed is empty. _Another mouthful, and another, motions my hands and mouth remembered. _Careening down the corridor, to where the voices of everyone else are. _Again, another mouthful, and another. _Their faces, turned to me, a mixture of sorrow and other things. I push past, needing to know….and then…._

"Akari…"

_Red, so much red. How can it be?_

With a cry, I pushed away the ready meal, pushed the chair away from the table. _Breathe_, I tried to remind myself, _breathe_. Shaking, I got up, and stumbled to the living room to get my phone off the coffee table. My instinctive thought was to call Dr Sugita, but then, for whatever reason, my memories took me somewhere else.

"_So, um…yeah." _

_He finished off the scribble with a flourish, and tucked the pen behind his ear before handing me the business card. I took it, cautiously. I got the sense that I should say something, but before I could think of what that something should be, he'd already gone. _

"_Ooooh, what was that about?" Nagisa asked. "Think he's got a thing for you?"_

"_I have no idea." I said, tucking the card into my blouse pocket. _

_But deep down, I thought only one thing: _Eizo-chi?

I honestly hadn't expected that I would see any of them again. In the first place, for the first few years after we were all free, I was in no fit state to keep in touch with anyone. Then, there was what I thought I remembered. _To never see each other…_Besides, none of them had indeed tried to keep in touch with me, so I figured that was that. It certainly made my approach of trying to forget just that bit easier. But then, a couple of years ago, my offices had redone their security, and just for a moment, Eizo had reappeared in my life.

"_Oh my gosh, no way! No frigging way!"_

_The boy grinned ear-to-ear, blue eyes sparkling before he turned and took a few steps over to grab the attention of a skinny blond boy nearby, who was talking to a surly, purple-haired, bespectacled boy with glasses. Akari and I exchanged glances before they came back, and then once they did, we exchanged another glance. Though the first boy's hair was dyed and a little longer, though his ears were pierced and he seemed brighter, he was virtually identical to the blond boy. _

"_Fumi, this is Akari Kishinami, and that's Azami Kishinami," he proclaimed, correctly identifying which one was which without seeming to need to think about it. "Azami and Akari, I'm Eizo Amai, and this is Fumiaki….my twin!"_

"_Oh, another pair of twins?" Fumiaki nodded, apparently not as mind-blown as his brother. "It's nice to meet you both."_

"_The same with you." Akari replied. _

"_Yeah, this is pretty cool!" I added. _

"_I know, right?" Eizo grinned even more. "It's basically like double the double trouble!"_

I stared at my phone for a long moment. Eizo's laughter at his revelation echoed in my mind, merging into another memory of Eizo teasing me because I'd mixed up my directions, thinking that we were closer to Kyoto than to Yonago, where Yodoe was. _Yodoe, where Ochiai-kun was from…that day had been fun too…_I dimly recalled a tangle of little kids following some of us around there-had Eizo been one of them? Had I been one of them? The pain had made it all hazy.

Then, I was up like a shot, scrambling, looking through all my drawers, driven by a compulsion I did not think I fully understood. I rushed from place to place to place, until finally, I found it deep in my bedside drawer. Clutching it tightly for a moment, I remained kneeling there, trying to gather back my breath. Then, slowly, I made my way back to the living room, and picked up my phone.

_Am I really going to do this? Am I really? It doesn't make sense to do this._

"But," I whispered to myself. "Nothing does."

So hesitantly, one digit at a time, fingers trembling, I punched in the number Eizo had scribbled on that card.

**…**

_Eizo_

I was finishing up making the alterations to my diary when my mobile started to clatter around in my desk drawer, the melancholy tune of _'Is There Still Anything Love Can Do?'_ piping out of the gaps telling me it was my personal mobile, rather than the work one. Scrambling, I tapped a key to save my changes, then unlocked my drawer, fished out my phone, locked the drawer again, and then answered.

"Hello?"

There was a silence for a moment. Then, a hesitant breath, slightly shaky at the edges. I gripped my phone tighter as I waited, and then:

"Eizo…-chi?"

The voice was that of a woman-soft, slightly flat, slightly dissatisfied. It could have been anyone-certainly, I hadn't recognised the glimpse of the number before I'd put the phone to my ear. But the use of my first name, plus that hesitant honorific that nobody had used for me in years made me take a breath of my own. I'd been waiting for this call for two years, ever since I'd scrawled my personal number onto a business card and pressed it into her hands before scrambling away. I'd been hoping for it, despite everything.

"Azami?" I asked, somehow not daring to hope. "Is that you?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Azami. It's…it's been a while, huh?"

_Smooth, Eizo, real smooth_, I berated myself. We'd been classmates and friends, we'd experienced the same hell together-with more common points there than either of us should ever had suffered, and yet all I could say was that it'd been a while? There was no sense in asking how it had come to this, because I knew it full well. But I had never wanted it, even though everyone else had gone along with it. I'd taken a risk, reaching out to Azami after I'd spotted her at the office whose security services I'd come to upgrade that time. But, after two years, it'd worked.

"It has." Azami said, simply.

Another moment of silence. I wondered what it was Azami was thinking, or if she'd wondered what I was thinking. We had dated, back then, for a little while. Not seriously-quite literally, we'd just gone on dates to ice-cream places, amusement parks, karaoke places, sometimes even the park where Azami could happily lose herself in taking photographs of the snow making the grass glitter, or sunlight through maple leaves. All those carefree teenage date locations. I'd tried to harangue Fumiaki into dating Akari, and Azami had done the same with Akari, because of course it'd be hilarious for a pair of twins to double-date a pair of twins, but nothing had come of it. It hadn't really mattered though, either way. It was just fun, something that we were meant to look back on fondly.

But these days, with something I called hindsight but knew deep down was just nostalgia, I found myself thinking that it could have been more serious. With time and age, perhaps we might have developed proper feelings, entered a serious relationship with each other, got married, had a couple of adorable kids who'd be absolute scamps running circles around us. All those ordinary things. If things had been different, this phone conversation might have been just to remind me to get some vegetables on the way home.

But none of that happened. Instead, I lost Fumiaki, and she lost Akari, and now we were here.

"Are…are you alright? Did you hear?"

"They called my parents first. Because they weren't sure…you know." Azami hesitated.

"Mhm," I said, feeling a wave of guilt.

I decided not to mention that I'd known about Hope's Peak for a while. I decided that could wait until we were all back together again.

"What's going to happen now?" Azami asked.

"Well…they'll need to talk to us, but Ayuna, she's been trying to track everyone down so that we can all meet up."

"Okay, first, who's Ayuna?" Azami asked, a note of surprise in her voice.

I wondered how she couldn't know. Then again, Azami had never been into horror, and I didn't think she'd have started now. That, and I'd also been back in touch with Ayuna again so now it was just general knowledge to me.

"Aozaki, we would've addressed her back then. Osamu Aozaki. But now she's Ayuna."

"Oh. Transitioned?"

"Yeah, a little while ago now."

"Oh."

There was a pause. I imagined the Azami that I had briefly seen (hair no longer dyed and shorter to boot, eyes no longer bright) frowning as she adjusted to this information.

"_Okay, but it is actually getting ridiculous!" Akari said, shaking her head in exasperation and looking over at Azami. _

"_Yup." Azami said as she munched at her sandwich role. "I mean, you'd think it'd be obvious by now."_

"_Maan, I know how you feel, right, Fumi?" I grinned, looking over at him._

"_Eizo, nobody could ever mix us two up." Fumiaki sighed patiently. _

_When I just gaped at him, he sighed and pointed to his hair, blond and short. The same colour that mine naturally was. _

"_Oh yeah, of course! Duh!"_

_I looked over at Azami, with her black hair in something that was halfway between a bun and a ponytail, and at Akari, whose hair was in a more neat, perky ponytail. It was a minimal difference though. Though I'd worn my hair a little longer before I'd gotten into dyeing it, and that had fended off most mix-ups, I knew that as little kids, me and Fumiaki'd been indistinguishable from appearance alone. _

"_Hair dye!" I proclaimed. "That's your answer! One of you should turn your hair a different colour, then you won't get mixed up!"_

_Akari looked at Azami, and Azami looked at Akari, and then they turned back to us. _

"_We'll both dye our hair," Akari declared. _

"_In different colours." Azami continued. _

_And then they laughed, and I couldn't help but grin too, because people laughing was one of the best things in the world. _

I shook my head at the memory. Who would have imagined that over a year later, the things that happened would have happened? I certainly had not.

A knock on the door startled me, so I quickly told Azami to hold on, and called out for the person to come in. My assistant opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Amai-san, are you going home?"

"Yes, yes, I'm just sorting out the diary and taking this call. You can lock everywhere else up, I'll lock up front when I leave."

"Alright then, goodnight."

My assistant left, and I quickly returned the phone to my ear, hoping that Azami had not just disappeared.

"So,um, what was the second thing?"

"What about the promise?"

_Oh, thank goodness. _

"Oh. You….uh, you knew?"

It was both a relief and a devastation, to know that she knew, but I couldn't rightly say why, either way. _This damned promise. _

"Well now," Azami let out a small sound that might have been a laugh. "I'm not so sure I _knew_. But I picked up some things, and that combined with the fact I have never seen any of you, ever, after then….I guess I assumed. "

"I, well….I mean, I didn't want it to be like that, you know? After all, we managed to get through things together, right?" I blurted out before I could think about it closely.

"Did we?"

_Oh, Azami. Azami, I'm sorry. We were both twins, after all, and yet I couldn't help you. _I thought back again, to us, in the minivan, laughing at something I'd found on my phone. To the dates, and everything else.

"Eizo?"

No use of the old honorific this time, but still, my heart, it _hurt_ and yet somehow it felt good. I'd lost so much, not least because of this separation. I was glad that at least that aspect of things would soon be over.

"Yes?"

"I'm scared."

"I know. I am, too."

"Is it really okay? To break the promise?"

"As far as I was concerned it was a loada BS in the first place, but yeah. This'd force us all together anyway. And like I said, I think we'd be better able to face it if we were together."

"I…I suppose…."

"I could come to you first?" I said, suddenly. "Then I could take you to Ayuna, and then we could meet everyone else? Like I said, Ayuna is trying to organise it all."

"I…." Azami hesitated.

"I'd like to see you again. Twin to twin."

"I…." Azami's voice hitched, and there was a long pause before she continued. "I'd like that too."

"Alright," I seized on this, as quickly as possible. "Give me your address, and I can be with you tomorrow morning?"

"Tomorrow morning? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm literally rejigging my schedule for meeting you all anyway." I answered breezily.

"Oh."

The silence this time went on for so long I started to worry that Azami had hung up without me noticing, but then finally, she spoke.

"Okay."

**…**

I had driven my father over to clean up the family grave recently, so the bunch of bright flowers that had been left there were still going strong, waving happily in a breeze I could barely fill. Even so, as I bent down to see Fumiaki's name, I poured a little water from my bottle into the holder. Hopefully I'd be back soon-but I knew that a neighbour would be more than happy to drive him over while I was gone anyway, if he needed it.

"Hey there, twin. " I said. _Guess what's happening? _

I had no idea if Fumiaki was looking down on me-on us- in some other form or not, but I couldn't imagine what he'd think of all this. In the first few years after we'd been rescued and I was out in the world again on my own, I'd powered through things by asking myself what Fumiaki would've done, until I'd learnt how to be myself without him to lean on. But somehow, now, I wanted to know what he would think of all this, and how he would have reacted.

_We were all silent-even the girls' sobs had been muted-as we waited. At the front, with Sen'ya sitting next to me furiously shredding his paper napkin, I could see Fumiaki swallow as he sized up the situation, trying to work out what do to. To solve this. But even I could have told him that there wasn't a solution here: we were royally screwed. _

_But Fumiaki came to this realisation soon enough, because finally, his shoulders sagged underneath that nice dark green jacket that he'd bought at the last place we'd stopped. Slowly, stiffly, he climbed back into the driver's seat. _

_I gasped, and looked over at Sen'ya, hoping for some reassuring look or something. But Sen'ya's dark blue eyes, behind his glasses, were totally fixated on the napkin-shred-mountain forming on his lap. If he had any more arguments to give, they were gone now. _Man, we could really do with that acid tongue of yours right now_, I thought but didn't say. Come to think of it, we could have done with a good joke. But I couldn't think of one of those, either. So I turned back to where Fumiaki was carefully buckling himself back in. From the other noises, everyone else was also putting their seatbelts back on. I did mine, and nudged Sen'ya to do the same. _

_Fumiaki's hands settled on the steering wheel, and once again I could see him swallow. Then, unexpectedly, recklessly, he looked over his shoulder, and his eyes locked with mine. _

"_It'll be alright." He said, simply. _

_Then, he looked straight ahead, and his foot pressed the accelerator. _

I shook my head against the memory, forced myself to think of something else, something happier. And eventually, my mind found a rainy afternoon from the year before. For whatever reason, there was nothing to do (Weekend? Free period? End of the school day? That detail, I didn't remember), and we'd all been bored. So somehow me and some others-Ayuna, Katsuya, Rin-had taken it into our heads to be like little kids again, jumping in the puddles and running around in the rain_. I think you're all bonkers, but there's wellies and stuff in the store-cupboard by the music room_, Sen'ya had said, and though Fumiaki had expressed similar sentiments, he'd helped us gather everyone around in their raincoats, out into the rain. And sure enough, soon almost all of us were splashing around and playing in the rain. Sadie did an impromptu dance routine in the rain using her umbrella, and got Moeka and Akari into it too, and Azami, when she wasn't splashing around with the rest of us, took photographs of different things as they looked in this weather. And at some point, she took a photograph of all of us, laughing under the downpour.

_It was raining back then too, wasn't it? The day we were freed? _ I sighed. I was sure somewhere, in amongst the mementos I'd packed in my luggage, that photograph was there. Hopefully, when we did all meet up, it'd remind the others that our bond had not been all about what had happened back there. We'd had something good, and maybe we could find our way back to it.

"What do you think, Fumi?" I asked.

The breeze simply blew, a little softer this time. I sighed, and then got up, brushing down my trousers. And even though the sun was shining brightly, I kept that memory of the rain firmly in my head as I walked away.

* * *

**Characters introduced:**

_**Survivors**_

**Azami Kishinami, former SHSL Nature Photographer (created by: chiaki ebooks)**

**Eizo Amai, former SHSL Comedian (created by: Ziggymia123)**

_**Investigators**_

**Tetsuji Kamiya, Forensic Pathologist (created by: Treeja)**

_**Victims**_

**Sen'ya Ochiai, former SHSL Yodoe Umbrella Maker (my OC)**

**Akari Kishinami, former SHSL Wedding Photographer (created by: chiaki ebooks)**

**Fumiaki Amai, former SHSL Agent (created by Ziggymia123)**


	6. Everything and Nothing

_Mai_

"_What do you think the police would make of all this?" Teiichi asked, softly but suddenly, turquoise eyes troubled. _

_I looked up from where I had been cutting up Azami's lunch._

"_What do you mean?" I asked, curiously. _

_Teiichi simply blushed and shrugged, looking away from me and all of us who stared, his streaked hair momentarily obscuring his face. Only Azami didn't react, simply staring into space as she had been doing ever since when…_

"_Do you think the police are even going to come, at this point?" Eizo asked shakily as he pushed his own food around the plate. _

_Distracted, I looked back up again. That was something I had been wondering. Why had we not been found yet? Did anyone know that we were even missing? Was anyone looking for us? I thought of my grandmothers, hoped that they were okay. _

"_They have to." Kimiko said. "Surely they will."_

"_Psh, right, that's totally why they still haven't turned up even though more and more of us are dying." Sen'ya spat at her. _

"_Now, that was uncalled for." Seiko said, calmly. _

"_It's fucking true though, isn't it?" Sen'ya responded. _

"_Guy, guys…" Ayuna said. "This isn't helping.."_

"_Though we have been here for a long time, yes?" Lilian asked, absently. _

"_This does bring up an interesting point, though."_

_We all stared at Eikichi, who regarded us all just as calmly as he'd spoken, the demeanour seeming to amplify the iciness of his eyes. _

"_Though there isn't a way of knowing if we will be rescued, if and when we are, we will need to think about what to say."_

"_What do you mean?" Ayuna asked. "We'd just tell them what happened, right?"_

_Eikichi sighed, and ran his hands through his matcha-green hair, before shaking his head. _

"_Really? You'd tell them what happened? Exactly what happened? Do you really think that would work out for us?"_

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Ayuna flared up. _

"_Osamu." Seiko murmured, before turning to look at Eikichi. _

"_You think we won't be believed, right?" she asked calmly. _

"_Tch," Sen'ya curled his lip, before sighing. "To be fair, I wouldn't believe this if I wasn't here."_

"_But it's not just that, is it?" Teiichi spoke up again. "It's…what Komiya-kun, Amai-kun and Kamiya-san…what they did…."_

"_A-Akari?"_

"_Azami-chan?"_

_I turned, quickly, and looked at her. She seemed to be looking around her, but then, just as suddenly, she seemed to shrink back into herself. _

"_Azami-Chan, here." I said, taking a forkful of food and holding it to her lips. "Here, eat."_

_I concentrated on feeding Azami while the others talked. I didn't look over at them, but I listened, curious despite myself. _

"_Also…we can be implicated, yes?" Lilian asked. _

"_That's true." Seiko acknowledged. _

"_I don't…I don't understand…."_

"_What they mean is that they might decide that we should be the ones punished, since, you know, the only thing that's telling us to do all this is just a fucki-"_

"_There's no sense in lying to the police," Kimiko said. "I think they'd be able to find the truth, anyway."_

"_Again, we're still here, aren't we?"_

"_Okay, this really isn't helping anything…"_

"_Osamu's right. We need to stop. We can worry about this once we are rescued-and I think we will be."_

I woke up with tears in my eyes, my breathing ragged. I sucked in a deep breath, trying hard to not wake up Juro. _You think we won't be believed, right? _The more time went on, the more it seemed that it would be true. They would not believe us. They would think the worst of us. They would…they would…

"Mai?" Juro murmured sleepily.

"Juro…"

"Hey, what's wrong?" he whispered, turning over to look at me.

I tried to answer him, but I couldn't. Juro had never taken issue with me not talking about what had happened. All these years, he had been here for me, my one hope, giving me a place in the world. But now, what would happen? He would find out the truth about what happened, and where would that leave me? What would happen once _Akio _knew the truth-because after all, now he knew I had been there in the first place? I knew all the reasons that we should tell the truth now. But equally…

_You think we won't be believed, right?_

How could anyone believe it? Like Sen'ya had felt, if it hadn't happened to me, I wouldn't have believed it myself. If Juro ,my children, if they were to think badly of me after all this, what would I do? Who would I be?

"Mai, Mai. Shhh, my love."

Juro wrapped his arms around me, pulled me to him. I clung to his nightshirt, and let him stroke my hair and back and continue murmuring comforting things to me, things I only half heard. I tried to keep my cries down so that Sachi and Akio wouldn't hear, but I cried.

"It'll be okay, Mai, I promise."

_Oh, I hope it will be. _

**…**

_Eizo_

I walked up to the door, checking the number with the details I'd written down on my phone to be sure I had gotten the right place. A small block of flats like this wasn't where I had expected Azami to be living. Then again, it was not as if I had expected anything. Just hoped, for all sorts of things. I glanced at my reflection in my phone screen, silently cursed those flyaway strands of hair I could never get to behave before attempting to smooth them down, turned over my necklace as the pendant had somehow flipped over during the walk from the place I'd parked my car to here, and then I pressed the doorbell.

There was a long wait, or what felt like one. I could hear the world whizzing around me, but I was in a bubble, waiting for Azami. Everything else was just background as memories circled and circled in my head. Then, finally, I heard the sound of bolts being pushed, and the door opened, on the chain. A blue eye in a sliver of familiar face peered out at me.

"Azami, it's me."

"Eizo…?"

The same voice. A lump rose in my throat, and with some effort, I swallowed it down. Azami stared at me for a moment longer, then she stepped back, and with a rustle the chain was unhooked, and she pulled the door open enough for me to see her fully. She was neatly dressed in a midi-length floral skirt and a plain light brown round-necked blouse, and her hair was in the same slightly-shorter-than-shoulder length bob that it had been in when I'd given her my business card two years ago.

"So, um, hi." I grinned. "Can I come in?"

Azami inclined her head, and I stepped in. As I took off my shoes, she locked the door. Double-bolted, I noticed. When I straightened up again, she was still standing by the door, one hand on the knob, the other over her heart as she looked at me. I looked back, absorbing every detail of her, committing it to memory. She looked so very different-of course, it had been twenty years, but all the light had been leached from her, and if you'd asked me before this all happened whether she'd look like this twenty years later, I would have said no. Sure, she would have probably gone back to her natural hair colour and her dress style might have matured, but in the different universe where we were happy and whole and still twinned, she'd still be bright. But still, to see Azami here, in the flesh after thinking that I'd just have to resign myself to the stupid, stupid promise we'd all made-it was a beautiful sight.

Eventually, Azami sighed, and spoke.

"I didn't imagine…" she trailed off, shook her head, tried again. "I never would have thought I'd see any of you again."

"No, after all that, neither did I." I laughed, awkwardly. "But it's good to see you again."

"Mhm…"

Again, another silence. Azami tilted her head.

"Eizo, why are you crying?"

"What-oh?"

Reaching up to feel the slight wetness against my cheeks seemed to break something, because suddenly more tears flowed, a veritable river, sliding over my hands as I tried to wipe them away.

"Sorry, sorry." I laughed. "It's fine, don't worry, I'll be fine in a moment."

Azami didn't respond, simply going to a faded blue raincoat that was hanging on a hook on the drab wall, and rootling in a pocket. Eventually, she came up with whatever she had been looking for, and then she crossed the small distance so she was standing right in front of me, and with some effort-she seemed so tired, what was I doing, blubbering like this-she pulled a tissue out of a packet which was presumably the item she'd just retrieved. Holding it out to me, she waited, expectantly.

I gave her a smile, and then reached for it, but instead of taking it, I instead held her hand in mine. Azami's eyes widened, but she didn't move away. Instead, she looked down at our hands for a moment, and then took the tissue with her other hand, waving it slightly as if to remind me to take it with my other hand-which I did, wiping my eyes, from which tears were still flowing. Then, she subtly shifted the hand that I was holding so that our fingers laced.

And just for a moment, we stayed like that.

**…**

_Nobuyuki_

"Alright, I've got lunch for us!" I declared, rushing back in and holding the takeaway bags aloft. "Whose den shall we convene in?"

"Oh, um, I already have lunch." Juro said apologetically, looking over his shoulder from where he was fixing something on the incident board.

"That's cool, just bring it with you. Mai's cooking?" I asked, drooling at the thought. Not because his wife's cooking could ever outrival my Kanon's, but because Mai had the tendency to cook some fairly interesting things.

Juro simply nodded at that. Usually he'd smile softly in pride at the acknowledgement, but today his face was clouded. Indeed, it had remained so at any mention of her these past few days, which was understandable.

"Hey, I'll take his portion, I forgot to grab something this morning!" Evalynn, Juro's work partner called out. "Also, we're going to your office, Kurosawa-ours is as poky as hell, right. Arisato?"

"It is, yes." Juro said, coming over to join her as she approached me and yanked a bag from my hand to inspect the contents.

"Are you coming, Gabe-kun?" Juro asked.

Gabe was the only other person in the room at the moment, with everyone else who was on the case off doing various different tasks that me, Gabriel and Evalynn had delegated, with Onoe overseeing and, well, delegating the delegating. Well, either that or getting food-nobody could do good work when running empty, after all. He looked up from the old interview transcripts he'd been reading, and smiled brightly, his cherry-red hair seeming to have somehow become messier in the last hour.

"Sure, " he said. "Where are we going again?"

"My office." I said. "Apparently it's spacier."

"Alright then."

We didn't talk much on the way there, considering the Cold Case Department wasn't too far away from the incident room, and then once we were there, our thoughts were occupied with taking seats and passing our food around. Evalynn, naturally, made a big production out of being hungry, which was entertaining, and we all managed to filch a little of Juro's lunch-something vegetable based. But of course, somewhat inevitably, even though we were technically grabbing a break, our talk went back to work.

"So, it turns out that Jin Kirigiri has advanced Alzheimer's'" Evalynn said. "So trying to talk to him is going to be as much use as a chocolate teapot. But, he has children."

"Does he really?" Juro asked. "I thought that was just a rumour."

"Nope, he does. He was estranged from them back then though, but apparently they're footing the bill for his care. Unfortunately, they're both detectives in Miyoshi, so I'm having some trouble getting a hold of them. I'll keep trying though." She responded with a shrug.

"They might be a good source of information," Gabe said, earnestly. "And if they're helping with his medical issues, they've probably got power of attorney, right? Perhaps they'll know something that we didn't uncover."

"Hopefully. Though one was a teenager and the other was a toddler-different mothers-back then."

"That must have been hard for them, though." Juro said thoughtfully.

"I guess we'll find out once Evs pins them down." I grinned jovially.

Evalynn skewered me with her classic red-eyed glare.

"I told you, Kurosawa, drop the nickname."

"Hey, hey, I bought you food, didn't I?"

Evalynn considered this for a moment, before glaring at me again. I mock-pouted at her, and eventually she shook her head, letting out a laugh.

"Still."

"Did you know that four of the survivors mentioned that their ear hurt when they'd woken up in the abandoned school building?" Gabe asked, fiddling with his animal-print tie absently.

"Their ears?" Juro asked. "I think I remember…why?"

"I don't really know, but I'm pretty sure it was never followed up."

"There was a lot of things that were never followed up, back then." I said.

Amongst other things, there was the Inaba School, the horrible place my Naomi had attended before she'd come to me and Kanon. The offical investigation into that school, the last big investigation that the four of us had been on together, had not bought anything up apart from the outlandish claims that the school had insisted on making. But Gabe had been convinced that there had to be more to it than that, and I was wondering if perhaps he'd be right. If that was the case, we'd find out this time, I hoped.

I just hoped that it wouldn't be found that Hope's Peak itself was culpable, both with this and with the Inaba School. The injustice of that would have been too much to bear.

"Which is why I'm stoked we're finally getting another crack at it." Evalynn concluded.

"Perhaps something will come up with Kimiko Tsukuda's exhumation." Gabe considered.

"Oh yeah, you have to go to attend that, don't you?" I said.

"Mhm," Gabe nodded earnestly. "I'll be witnessing the re-examination, too. But Tsukuda-san's coming for the actual exhumation. I cleared it with Superintendent Onoe, though naturally he won't be able to attend the re-examination."

"Good, good, I would have recommended that myself, actually." I said. "It won't bring her back, but I think it'll help him."

I thought back to then, the dizzying days of the original investigation. I had not been on Cold Cases back then, far from it, and I was sure if it wasn't for that case I would have remained a Forensic Psychologist. It was the same with Gabe-he'd just been a newbie like Juro, but the case had propelled him to Juvenile Crimes, finalising a decision a personal tragedy had skewed him towards anyway. As for Juro and Evalynn, they had climbed steadily from success to success from that day on, but that case too had been a pivotal one in their lives. I suppose that was why over the past twenty years, we'd been a solid crew, in both friendship and work whenever our departments needed to work together, and sometimes just to bounce ideas.

I gathered up everyone's rubbish, and was just about to lob it into the bin and suggest we get back to the incident room, particularly so Gabe could wrap up what he had been working on before he went to the exhumation, when the phone rang. Automatically, I reached for it.

"Hellooo~," I half-trilled. Based on the ringtone, I didn't need to identify myself.

"Oh, hello Detective Kurosawa," the uniform on the other line said. "There's someone on the line for someone dealing with the Hope's Peak case, are you free at the moment?"

"Sure, sure, put them through."

"Got it."

A click, and a moment later, a low voice spoke.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Detective Kurosawa from Towa Central Station."

"Is that as in Nobuyuki Kurosawa? I thought you were a psychologist."

"Yes, yes, that's me-may I ask who this is?"

"Right. It's Eikichi Hanamura. I gathered you'd want to talk to me."

"_It's one of the survivors."_ I mouthed to the others before returning my attention to the call. "Oh, Eikichi-san, how are you?"

"Reasonably well before an officer left a message on my phone to inform me the investigation was being re-opened."

Evalynn leant over and pressed the loudspeaker button on my phone, while Juro went to close the door.

"Ah, yes, well," I said affably. "I'm sure this must have come as quite a shock to all of you, huh?"

"I don't know about the others, but to me, yes. I had imagined you'd written this off as a failure."

"We closed the case as unsolved back then, yes, but I can assure you that I did not just write it off. I'll be honest; I've been thinking of you all every day and hoping you're alright. And I know a lot of us cared, back then. "I said.

"But you still want us to rehash it."

Evalynn pulled a face, and I mock-glared at her and shook my head before I thought about how to respond to Eikichi.

"Yes, well, it is going to be necessary for you to come in. We'll make it as…pain-free as we can."

"With all due respect, Detective, that will be impossible."

I paused at that. He was right. I knew that, for all you could soften the blow of these things -and god knew, I was always trying to do that-, you could never completely take away the pain. The original investigation had certainly been a good lesson in that.

But still, that didn't mean I couldn't try.

"But I see the need to cooperate, so I just wanted to let you know that I will," Eikichi continued, sounding vaguely tired. "I'll be coming down there, so please don't send anyone up here."

"Oh, you don't need to go to all that-"

"I'd prefer it that way. But with that being said, I do need to sort out things up here first. I'm a teacher, so I can't just up sticks."

A teacher, huh? I thought of how Eikichi had been, in that very first interview, when I'd recommended that they could finally be interviewed solo, going against some of the others' judgement at the time (they'd wanted the separation to be sooner, and I had disagreed-after all, for more than a month they'd only had each other). It had been horrible, seeing him and the others in so much pain, but not only was that standard for the job, it further proved that I'd been right in taking the gentle approach.

_The boy's hands were shaking slightly as he walked away from his friends, but I noticed from the way he clenched them tightly, that he was trying to hide it. I, for my part, pretended not to notice as I ushered him into the room, and closed the door behind me. _

"_Now, there's nothing to worry about, we just need to-"_

_I broke off my spiel as I noticed that now, away from the others, Eikichi was trembling, all over, looking paler than before. _

"_Eiki-"_

_Before I could ask or say or do anything, Eikichi had stumbled to the further corner of the room, dropped to his knees, and thrown up. _

I wanted to tell him that I was proud, and ask him more about his career, but I had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate it. He didn't want to deal with small talk over the phone. He just wanted to make his intentions clear, and let us know that he'd be here.

"That's fine. Thank you for calling in."

"Not a problem, Detective Kurosawa." Eikichi said in a voice that was clearly meant to imply that it was one, before he hung up.

Eikichi's voice seemed to hang in the air for a moment before I put the receiver down and pressed the button to take the phone off speaker.

"Mai mentioned a couple of the other survivors were coming down, I think." Juro mentioned, absently. "She's recently been in touch with one of them."

"They'll be able to support each other then, that'll be good and oh!" Gabe exclaimed, looking at the clock on the wall and getting up. "I need to get going!"

"Oh, right, yeah, we've gotta get back down to work too, right?" Evalynn said.

"Yeah, " I agreed. "Let's get back to it."

**…**

_Gabriel_

As it turned out, Kenichi had been on his way to collect me when I'd come haring out of Nobuyuki's office, so we just went straight out together. There was nothing particularly to say, so we didn't talk at all. If it had been any other case, I would have picked his brain about all the odd little details that I had noticed-back when I'd still been new, he'd been more than happy to discuss the finer points of forensics, pleased that a police officer wanted to understand what it was they were using to solve their cases. But of course, I couldn't really do that here. Besides, somewhat understandably he wasn't really the same happy guy I'd once had an extremely short-lived crush on, so the days of cheerful chatting about techniques were long gone.

As we got out to the front, I could hear the sounds of somebody arguing. At first, I thought it was just an aggressive homeless person, or a suspect, or a family member of a different victim, but then to my surprise, Kenichi swore under his breath, and took off in a run.

"Ah, Tsukuda-san, wait!" I called out, jogging after him.

"Just try to make me leave, just try!"

"Jesus, I told you not to come."

Kenichi and Tetsuji were facing each other, both of them glaring at each other, while the officer at the desk looked on nervously.

"Should I call the Superintendent, or maybe the Captain?" he asked.

"No, don't worry, I've got this." I said.

It had been twenty years, so of course Tetsuji would have aged a lot, much like I had. But the man standing in front of me seemed to have aged so much more than that. Still tall and spindly, but now looking as if he would blow over in a slight wind, rumpled clothes and all.

Albeit, he'd blow over while glaring all the while, just as he was doing now. _My goodness, I don't remember him being this scary. _

"Kamiya-san, it's been a while," I said. "I can't imagine what this situation would be like for you."

"You don't need to imagine," he snapped out gruffly. "Just tell me, what are you _actually_ doing?"

"Well, you'd know better than anyone that we can't share pertinent details of an investigation with a…." I trailed off.

Despite the fact it was technically true, I didn't want to label Tetsuji as simply being a 'civilian'. It would have been unfair. I thought a moment, and then continued.

"-someone who isn't on the investigation, but I can assure you, we are working hard to look into it!" I said. "There's a lot of stuff I wasn't able to pursue back then, but we're exploring all avenues."

Tetsuji continued to glare, but at the same time, he quietly scrutinised me.

"This is Detective Matsu," Kenichi supplied after a moment. "Technically Detective Matsumoto-Fujioka, but that's a mouthful so he's been going by Detective Matsu. He was just an officer back then."

"Oh," Tetsuji blinked, surprised. "You had a brother, right?"

"Y-yes…" I said, taken aback.

"I remember that case. " he said, simply, seeming gentler for a moment.

"I…"

But just like that, before I could think of anything to say, the moment was gone and Tetsuji returned to glaring at me.

"All the same, give me one good reason why-"

"We're going to Kimiko-chan's exhumation…ah, you can't come, of course but…." I thought frantically. "How about I ask one of the other detectives to come and take a statement from you?"

"I told you everything before." Tetsuji said, before suddenly coughing abruptly.

I startled, and he must have noticed, because he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Don't mind the cough. It's not contagious."

"Just_ do_ it." Kenichi said, tiredly. "We're getting late."

Tetsuji's shoulders slumped, and he muttered something under his breath before looking at me.

"Fine."

"Alright then, Kamiya-san, if you just take a seat here!" I said cheerily, before turning to the wary officer. "Could you call either Detective Kurosawa or Detective Dupont and ask them to come down to talk to Kamiya-san please? And offer him a drink if he wants one."

"O-of course."

"Right then, we'd better be going, right?"

Kenichi simply nodded at me, and I gave what I hoped was a reassuring smile back, and then we left the station.

**…**

_Tetsuji_

It was the same as twenty years ago.

The faces of the investigation had changed, sure, and for what it was worth they seemed to at least care, and not be so beholden to Hope's Peak's so-called thrall. But in the end, that was what it would come down to, I was sure. Whoever the bastard was that had kidnapped Moeka and her friends, and killed her along with twelve more of them, he was going to get away with it, because nothing was going to change. And he'd get away with all the other crimes that he had committed.

Because he had, I was sure of it.

Those homeless people found in the abandoned beach-hut in 2007, the runaway teenagers who'd befriended each other in that hostel only to die basement of a newly-built house in 2020, the family massacred in 2010, and more besides. All the ones that had come before, they should have noticed at the very least, and the 2020 one should instantly have flagged up what had happened to Moeka. Yet it had not. I knew it had not. I'd made a point of telling Detective Kurosawa all this, but no doubt, he thought I was crazy.

They all did.

_You _are_ acting a little crazy, aren't you? _A little voice told me, very quiet, but oddly insistent. If it had been someone telling me that, I would have glared, but as it was, I stuck my hands deeper into my pockets, and continued my insistent limping march back to the apartment I was staying at, looking around me, remembering places I'd been to and passed back then, when Moeka had been alive and I had been with Hanami and the world had been a better place for it.

I considered a side-road for a moment, knowing that down there lead to a short-cut to where we'd all lived together. I had no idea whether Hanami even lived there, but since it was close to where she and Moeka had worked, it was likely that she did. My heart clenched, but I didn't pay any attention to it. What use was it walking there? She, too, was someone else I had failed. Instead, as I reached a street corner, I paused, and pulled out a cigarette and my lighter.

Carefully and cautiously, I lit the cigarette, then shoved the lighter back in my pocket while I looked around me at the city. A few people stared at me, but I glared back and they soon averted their eyes. _Who knows_, I wondered. _Who knows what happened back then? Who holds the key? _I knew a survivor still lived here, and another a couple of towns away, and for sure, they knew something none of us did. But they couldn't be the only ones. They just couldn't be_. Because if they were, then that would mean…_

As I took another puff of my cigarette, I became aware that there was someone staring at me. I turned, and then startled abruptly as I realised the person in question-a girl-was standing right next to me. _Huh, when did she get here? _

"Who are you?"

The girl, slender and young, with bright blue eyes and wavy gray-ish blue hair that brushed shoulders exposed by her ruffled blue off-the-shoulder blouse, grinned at me and held out a hand for me to shake.

"Otsuka Jihara, at your service."

I stared at the hand, and didn't accept it.

"You're just a kid."

"A soon-to-be-SHSL-kid. SHSL Journalist." She smiled even more.

"You're one of the new students?" I asked.

"I am indeed, and I know that you happen to be Tetsuji Kamiya, father of the former SHSL Mortician."

"Moeka," I corrected gruffly. "Her name was Moeka."

"Moeka, of course," the girl said smoothly, apparently unruffled. "I understand you're unhappy about the way the investigation is being handled."

"How do you know this?"

"I have my sources."

I considered this for a moment. What a classically journalistic thing to say.

"Why do you want to know, anyway?"

"I want to know what really happened, same as you." She said. "There's a mystery to solve and I want to solve it and bring the truth to light."

"So you're suggesting we…work together?"

_But she's just a kid. _Sure, she was more than likely on the older end of that spectrum, probably 17 or 18 from the poise with which she held herself. But a kid was a kid. Moeka had been a kid.

"Oh, not quite." She shrugged. "I mean that is what essentially it comes down to. But I was thinking more that we could exchange information as and when we come by it. And in return, I could interview you. I'm thinking that putting some more public pressure on Hope's Peak and the police will cause something to leak out. There is a fine line, of course, because as I am sure you know revealing too much can jeopardise an investigation, but a little tightening won't seriously hurt. "

Back then, I had not really talked to journalists. Not really deliberately-though they had felt a lot like vultures to me, especially after it had been confirmed that Moeka hadn't made it-but because I was more interested in trying to get justice and vengeance for her. Any actual fending off had been left to Hanami, in the end. And once the dust had settled, I just hadn't considered it as an avenue.

But things needed to change, and this was as good a place to start as any. I could worry about the other little niggles later. I blew out a ring of smoke, then crushed my cigarette on the ground before stooping-somewhat painfully-to pick it up and lob it in the nearby bin. Then, I looked at this girl, so young and full of enthusiasm.

_Just as Moeka had been. _

"Alright. Tell me what you need me to do."

* * *

_**Characters introduced:**_

**Survivors**

**Eikichi Hanamura, former SHSL Fencer (created by: arans)**

**Investigators**

**Nobuyuki Kurosawa, Cold Case Detective (created by: tobi-is-an-artist-too)  
Evalynn Dupont, Murder Detective (created by: Crimson Spider Lily)  
Gabriel Matsumoto-Fujioka (created by: Abitat Eco)**

**Prospectives**

**Otsuka Jihara, SHSL Journalist (created by: Crimson Spider Lily)**

**Victims**

**Teiichi Kazama, former SHSL Rock Climber (my OC)**


	7. A Glimmer of Hope

_Akio_

"_Mum, I don't understand though. "_

"_Akio, you just can't. Please don't."_

"_Mum-"_

"_Mai, I think you should explain." My dad interjected suddenly. "I think Akio would be able to understand. And isn't it better that it comes from you?"_

"_But…" Mum looked at Dad with wet eyes, beseeching. I could tell she wanted him to swoop in, sweep all this away and make it better. I could tell, because I wanted it too. _

_He reached out and squeezed her hand, and they exchanged a look, before Mum looked away and stared down at her lap, taking a deep breath. In that moment, Dad glanced over at me, his expression darker than usual, and even more unreadable too. _

"Hello….earth to Arisato?"

"Huh?" I blinked and looked over at my friend. "What was that, Terasawa-kun?"

"I was saying, you know Little Miss Perfect, she's probably going to end up in Hope's Peak with you too." He said.

"What?" I said. "Who?"

"Who? Hello, Akemi Koizumi? In Class 3A? You know, the genius girl who appears on Akemi Tries It?" Terasawa said.

"You mean, the girl who is _literally the point_ of that show?" another classmate I was friendly with interjected.

"Yes, her! You know who I'm talking about, right?"

"Yes, I do. Have you ever tried talking to her though? She can't actually be a real person-I mean, who the fuck is that nice?"

"I know, right? She literally graduated university when she was like 10-"

"I, um, I don't understand though, why are you asking me about her?" I said, interrupting them abruptly.

The name bought back memories of a few weeks ago, when a buzz of rumours had surrounded the arrival of a new girl. I'd seen her around, I thought-I could vaguely remember long blue hair, tied in a swishy ponytail. I also remembered the sense of sadness, though I could hardly say why.

Terasawa and my other classmate turned to gawp at me. I laughed, awkwardly, and rubbed the back of my head, internally breathing a sigh of relief at the fact I managed to halt them.

"Geez, I already _said_!" Terasawa said, rolling his eyes. "She's likely to get into Hope's Peak. I mean, she's basically the most talented teen in the country, so you should go talk to her."

"Because….?"

"Because, you may as well try and get into the good books of someone you're going to be proper classmates with next year."

"I don't even know if I'll be going."

"Not going?" Terasawa's eyes bugged out.

"What do you mean, not going?" the other classmate said. "That'd be madness! Like, way back in the day that school was like, best of the best! You won't have to worry about getting into uni, unlike the rest of us unlucky sods!"

I sighed, hesitating.

"Well, you know what happened at the last one…"

"_I was one of those seven, Akio. I saw my friends die and…I just….."_

"_Mai, it's okay, you've done well, you don't need to say anymore."_

_I felt like it was rude for me to be watching as Mum seemed to almost collapse into herself, as Dad quickly gathered up. This was the type of pain that wasn't meant to be seen. _

"Geez, your mother is still going on about that? She needs to get over herself."

I stiffened, wanting to give Terasawa a cutting response of the type I hadn't been able to give to defend a girl I didn't even know. Yet, I wasn't ready to reveal that Mum's worrying was so much more than well, just being an overprotective mother. The pictures I'd seen on the internet of my mother, back when she was a happy-go-lucky girl that everyone called Sadie, they were imprinted into my brain.

Terasawa quickly figured out that I wasn't going to say anything, and shook his head.

"Well, yeah, you should try talking to Koizumi, see what happens-"

Terasawa was interrupted by our teacher coming in and calling for attention. I was happy to ignore them and listen to the teacher. But now I was thinking about the fact there might be someone in a similar situation here. It would be nice, to know someone who was also going to Hope's Peak and who'd understand why it wasn't just something to be excited about, the way Terasawa and my other friends seemed to think it was. I somehow didn't think that was why Terasawa had suggested it to me, but it was not like he needed to know that.

_Yes, maybe I will try._

**…**

Eventually, after getting information from a third year who was in my club (who had been incredibly incredulous at my inquiries) that she often spent her lunchtimes alone in the 3A classroom if people didn't beg her to have lunch with them for the perceived social-status lift her presence gave them, I decided to take the plunge. When lunch came around, I stayed in my own classroom and quickly shovelled down my food, ignoring my classmates' cheering commands to get autographs and photographs, before heading upstairs to the floor the third-year classrooms were in.

The door to 3A was ajar, and I cautiously looked around. Sure enough, there was only one person there-a girl, reading a large hardcover book with some sort of figure drawn on it in gold outlines, though no discernible title that I could see. Her hair was long, blue, and in a ponytail, just like my vague memories, and she was wearing suspenders with her school skirt, even though they were technically optional and most of the girls preferred the skirts without suspenders.

"Um, hello?" I asked cautiously.

The girl looked up, clearly startled, before her expression settled into a polite smile.

"Hi, are you looking for someone?"

"Are you Akemi Koizumi?"

"Yes, that's me." She said in a calm voice that was almost melodic.

"I, um…" I hesitated, wondering why I was nervous all of a sudden. "I'm Akio Arisato, I'm in Class 2-B and, um. Well, have you heard about that school opening? Hope's Peak?"

"Yes, I have." Akemi said politely.

I decided to step away from the door, and I entered the classroom properly, walking over and settling a couple of desks away from Akemi, who carefully slipped a star-patterned bookmark into the pages of the book she was reading and settling it on her desk. As she did, it struck me that under the neat presentation of her uniform, she was skinny. Not in a neat, put together sense, but skinny. The type of skinny Mum would feel instinctually bound to feed. I took a deep breath and sat down on the desk I had stopped at, and continued.

"I've been invited to it, when it opens next April, and I heard that you might also be attending and I thought that, well, it'd be nice to know someone else who would also be going. I'm…I'm a little nervous, to be honest?"

"How come?" Akemi asked.

"Do you know what happened twenty years ago?"

"Yes, I do. It's a horrible thing to have happened, isn't it?" Akemi replied. "I can understand being nervous about going there, but on the other hand, Hope's Peak achieved a lot, didn't they?"

"Mmm…"

Suddenly, a memory clicked into place. Last summer, Sachi watching some sort of game show where a teenage girl was solving maths proofs of some sort, up against a professor of some kind. I'd wandered in near the end, but I'd caught some of it, and once it'd finished Sachi'd looked at me and said 'Nii-chan, I wish I was smart like that, then I wouldn't be stupid like I am now." _Perhaps, _I realised_, that's the sadness I am remembering. _If it was, I could almost understand why Terasawa and my classmate felt how they did. Still, I'd never want to be that vicious about another person.

"I think I'm still hopeful about it all. After all, back then, being invited to Hope's Peak was one of the greatest opportunities a person could get." Akemi said after a moment, when I didn't respond, sounding considered yet cheery about it.

"I…guess. "

Akemi looked at me with curious concern, her eye contact intense. I noticed then for the first time that the dark blue of her eyes was flecked with gold. It was almost beguiling, except there was something about the look of her, neat and need-to-feed-up skinny, alone in this classroom except for me, that made me look around, and then lower my voice.

"The thing is…my mother…she used to go to Hope's Peak, as well, back then."

I couldn't bring myself to directly say that she'd been one of the survivors of the incident, but Akemi instantly seemed to get it.

"That's…I'm sorry to hear that. Which one was she, if I may ask?"

"Her Talent was Yosakoi Dancer." I said.

"Oh!" Akemi exclaimed, taking me aback. "I enjoyed learning yosakoi!"

Her voice had gone up a little, excited and carefree, a little like Sachi when she was happy, except more mature. I blinked, taken aback. The difference between that, and everything else she had said. I didn't think Akemi had lied, exactly, but this was the first true thing she had said. Sure enough, her eyes widened slightly a beat after the words had left her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she said, back to calm again. "That must be hard on you and her."

"Truth be told, I didn't know anything about it after all this. Mum still hasn't said much-she finds it really hard to talk about, and I don't really want to push. But…at the same time, I feel like I want to know. I want to understand what happened, you know?"

"I can completely understand that. It would be nice to find closure for them, wouldn't it?" Akemi said.

"Yeah," I said, letting out a breath. "It would."

There was a silence for a moment. I looked down at my lap, Akemi sat, perfectly still and placid. After a while, I realised I hadn't actually confirmed if she was in Hope's Peak. So I asked, quickly. In response, Akemi bit her lip for a moment, regarding me, before she took a deep breath.

"Truthfully, yes. But it's being officially announced later, so I'm not actually supposed to tell you. " she half-whispered.

"Oh."

"Sorry, that's what you originally came here for, wasn't it?"

"I mean, I suppose? But since I know for sure, would you like to be friends? I know it's a little elementary school to be asking straight out like that, but I think it'd be nice."

Just like when I'd told her about Mum's former Talent, Akemi seemed to brighten for a moment, before then apparently remembering herself and restraining herself.

"If you'd like to."

"Great! So, um, shall we exchange details? And maybe we could meet after school and…do something?"

"I can't make it tonight unfortunately." Akemi said, with just the briefest hint of a shadow flitting across her face. "But I'd be happy to give you my number."

We took out our phones, and exchanged contact details. At that moment, the bell rang, and some other members of 3A entered the room.

"See you later, Koizumi-sempai!" I said, as I got up and left hurriedly, earning baffled glances from the others around us.

"Goodbye, Arisato-kun."

Once I was outside the classroom, I looked back around the door briefly. Akemi had picked her book back up, and was reading it again, while everyone else laughed and chatted around her, as if she wasn't there. _Friends. _It was a kindness, and as much for me as it was for her, but now, more than ever, I hoped it would come to be.

**…**

_Akemi_

"Aaaaand once again, Akemi-chan has done it! She's beaten an expert in the field at archery, and she can now add that to her many list of achievements!"

I knew that on the television screens of everyone who was watching this, there would be a little box appearing on the side, listing just some of the different things I had done for previous episodes, as I smiled obligingly and stood next to Chiyo, the presenter. Knitting, basketball, rock-climbing, hairstyling, chess, yosakoi dancing, and more besides that. There were too many to fit in the box without obscuring the view of me in the studio, clad in archery clothes that were a deep turquoise rather than the traditional black or dark blue, especially for me. All to fit in with my image.

As the audience in the studio whooped and cheered, Chiyo beckoned the person that I had been up against and made him stand next to me. I gave as much of a sideways glance as I could without being too obvious, and took in his dark red hair, and the cloud-grey eyes that seemed to stare straight ahead without a care. His archery uniform was proper, not something made for appearance's sake, and it gave him a sombre aura. Though such seriousness was fair-I had just taken away from him this one success. Trivialised years of hard work and all the additional barriers I imagined he must have had to face, by picking up the skill in two weeks for the purpose of entertainment.

It didn't matter that I never wanted to.

It was not as if he could know that.

_Smile, Akemi, remember to smile. _My cheeks ached, but it was little more than a twinge these days.

"But let us give another huuuuuuge round of applause to Akagi-kun here, because he really did give our Akemi-chan a run for her money! And so he should, for as I mentioned at the beginning of the show, he has been accepted as the SHSL Archer for New Hope's Peak first class! And speaking of Hope's Peak…."

I sucked in a tiny breath._ But it's being officially announced later, so I'm not actually supposed to tell you._ I hoped that boy, that sweet, soft-featured boy who had spoken so earnestly of his mother, had not told. Wouldn't it be just my luck to glimpse some hope only for it to just be a mirage? I watched as Chiyo produced a bright gold envelope as if from nowhere and spun to hand it to me with a flourish.

"Akemi-chan, can you guess what this is?"

"Oh…could it be?" I made my eyes widen, my mouth form a perfect 'o'-for after all, acting was one of those many skills. "Is this a letter from New Hope's Peak?"

"Well, let us see, shall we?"

With dramatic flourishes-and dramatic music in the background-Chiyo opened the letter, and began to read it out. Through all of this, I stood there, smiled, gasped at the appropriate intervals, and then tried to look suitably gushing when Chiyo handed it over to me. I clasped the letter carefully, hoped the shaking of my hands was not obvious, and waited. Chiyo continued with her scripted spiel about both of us, including about how Akemi Tries It! was going on a break for the summer, and then she turned to us.

"Now, can we have Akemi-chan and Akagi-kun shake hands to say that there are no hard feelings."

"Of course!" I said, cheerily.

Akagi turned, and simply nodded. Chiyo stepped back, and I stepped forward, holding out my hand. Akagi frowned, and held out his cautiously. I stretched out a little more, until our fingertips brushed, and then he stepped forward a little more so that our hands could grip in a firm handshake.

I wondered if I could feel anything in his handshake-fear, resentment, sadness. All of these would have been reasonable. I tried to find a way of conveying _I'm sorry_ in the handshake, but came up empty. Of course I did.

"Excellent, excellent. Now, let's have one more bow for the audience, and then it's time to say goodbye! See you all next time!"

**…**

Safe, at last, in the car that would take me and my parents home, I quietly wiped away a globule of spit that an onlooker had aimed at me and crumped the tissue, putting it in the discreet pocket of my skirt. I couldn't help thinking that I was looking forward to not having to wear this outfit for the next few weeks. I knew that there would be a few simple, classy outfits that complemented my colouring involved in the interviews that my parents were setting up with my agents, but apart from that, I would be free.

But of course, the freedom would extend to so much more than outfits. And because it was temporary, I needed to do something about it. The face of that boy-Akio Arisato, I needed to remember his name-came into my mind. The thought that he had come to find me primarily to make friends, because we had something in common-well, it'd been a long time since that had happened. And the fact he'd bought up the mystery of what had happened at the old Hope's Peak was interesting too as, well, I was interested in it.

Save for certain things I had somehow liked, in truth it was the first thing that I was really, _truly _interested in. I'd had to keep that under wraps, because if there was a way to turn it into entertainment, my parents would find it if they knew.

And didn't I deserve just one thing to myself?

_But do I? Do I really? _I held back a sigh, and continued looking out of the window. My parents were busy talking, and more than likely wouldn't notice me slipping out my phone, but still, I hesitated. And then I remembered, the forums I had signed up for. The student called Rieka Amasaki asking if anyone wanted to solve a mystery. I wondered, had Akio Arisato noticed that? He had not mentioned it. But…I had said it would have been nice to find closure for the survivors of that incident. And what better way than trying to find information? I didn't think we could solve it, but surely, it could help.

Quietly, I slipped my phone out, scrolled to the number I had added today, and sent a message with the link. I decided that I would only reply to any response once I was in my bedroom, so I put it back straight afterwards. But still, that was enough.

I had a glimmer of hope ahead of me, once again.

**…**

_Akagi_

"So," I asked as I ate in huge mouthfuls. "Did mum ask about the show?"

"No," my uncle Taiki said. "She didn't."

"Oh."

I wasn't sure why that had come as a surprise to me. Mum hadn't talked to me properly for the better part of two years. Indeed, the last time had been when….I abruptly stopped that memory in its tracks, and continued eating. I was surprisingly hungry. It had been a long day, but then again, most were long these days.

I reached out for my glass, knowing it would be where it had always been on the table since I'd come to live with Uncle Taiki, and took a sip before setting it back down, and eating another slice.

"You know, your mother, she will come around."

I said nothing to this for a moment, as I swallowed a mouthful, and considered it. I couldn't imagine that she'd ever come around. The venom in her voice whenever she'd spoken to me since that day, the way I was either 'Mistletoe' or 'that one' from that point-I couldn't imagine them changing, if only because I could barely forgive myself for what had led to it.

That, and I knew my mother had already suffered before I had caused this latest pain. No wonder she hated me.

"I know you don't believe it, but Friede, she was a good person, very kind, and she still is. Just…well, it's not like anyone knows what happened there, but it was horrible, you know. There was a good amount of time she just wouldn't talk to anyone. And then of course, she met your dad. "

"Yes."

As far as I knew, Dad had taken Mum's side. Occasionally, he sent me text messages which my phone faithfully read out to me, but because Mum was not interacting with me, for the most part Dad was not either.

Uncle Taiki let out a sigh, though I couldn't quite interpret what it was meant to mean. I reached to pick up a pizza slice, only to touch an empty plate. Apparently, this was noticeable enough that Uncle Taiki asked

"Are you still hungry, Akagi?"

"I guess."

"There isn't any pizza left, but there is some ice-cream, if you want that?"

I considered this for a moment and then nodded.

"Okay then."

I heard Uncle Taiki's chair scrape back, and I got up too, carrying my empty plate carefully to the sink.

"No, don't worry, I'll wash up." He said as I was about to squeeze some washing up liquid. "You just get yourself some ice-cream and…um…"

"Perhaps I could sit outside?" I asked.

"Yes, yes, of course!" Uncle Taiki exclaimed. "Well, the bowls and spoons are where they are usually, but the ice-cream is in the second drawer of the freezer, at the front on the right. It's vanilla and caramel."

_My favourite, _I realised with a pang. Lucius had always tended to more chocolate-laden ice-cream flavours, and while I didn't mind them so much, those were the only kind that had been stocked back home. If I could even call it that. _I don't deserve this, _I thought. But of course, I was going to take it anyway. I went over to the freezer, opened it, located the ice-cream box, then got myself a bowl and a spoon, while Uncle Taiki washed up, and neither of us spoke for a while. As I was spooning out ice-cream into my bowl though, he spoke up again.

"Your mother will come around, I know it. Because she loves you…she loves both of you."

_No, she doesn't, _was my automatic thought. But I knew why he was saying that. Not just because he loved my mum-his sister-but because he loved me, too. He was just trying to help. Sort of like how he'd tried to help by having me come live with him when her grief and resentment had showed no sign of abating. So that meant something at least.

But it still didn't change anything.

"I'm going to go outside now." I said, as neutrally as I could, hoping my face didn't give anything away.

"Alright then. I'm just going to watch some TV if you need me."

Finished with the scooping, I put back the ice-cream box, and then went over to the back garden door, sliding it open, and stepping out. A breeze tickled my face, and I could sense some brightness still. Carefully, I sat down on the step and began to eat my ice-cream.

_Love, huh?_

Now I knew about my mother's past, even if it was only the bare bones, it weighed heavy on me. I hasn't thought anything could feel so heavy, after Lucius, but that…it no doubt coloured everything, really, though I didn't understand how. Could not understand how, considering that for most of my life I hadn't even been aware of the weight.

But perhaps that in itself was something. If I had been hated all along, then surely the burden of it would have been made clear to me right from the beginning. Surely Mum would have told me from the beginning. Perhaps then, she had loved me once. But she certainly didn't now.

_And I do not blame her. But how, how can I make this right? I can't bring back the dead. _

"What do I do, Lucius?" I asked to myself, even though I knew there would be no answer. "What would you do?"

Because Lucius would have known. He'd always been the golden one, he knew the answer to everything, could do anything. If it had been the other way round, if I had been the one to die, he would have been able to be a comfort to Mum. She would never hated him for it, even in circumstances like-

_No, stop. _Even if I would never forget, I couldn't say it to myself, what I had done.

I sighed, shook my head. Maybe an answer would come to me later. But still, as I continued to eat, I kept on asking myself: _What should I do?_

**…**

_Otsuka_

"Look, just because you pootle around online, doesn't suddenly make you an expert investigator."

I stared in frustration at the screen, where the smug, annoying face of Rieka Amasaki, glittery red-lipgloss, too-gleeful green eyes and all. Okay, I had to admire that she put effort into her appearance and all, but still, the girl was a pain. Contacting me for a video call, asking me to work with her to solve the mystery of Hope's Peak. Okay, so we were going to be classmates there, but even so. At least I had managed to finish and send my latest article, the one that had come about as a result of getting Tetsuji Kamiya to work with me.

"Excuse me, I'll have you kn-"

_Geez, we're going around in circles here. _Looking at the time at the corner of the video-call screen, we'd been going around in similar circles for at least 20 minutes.

"Yeah yeah, you solved that museum case, but you aren't a detective. You aren't an investigative journalist, or anyone who could possibly have anything useful to offer me. I don't need a fucking sensationalist poking around my work just for excitement."

Rieka pouted quite impressively.

"Are you telling me that you don't do this for excitement?" she asked. "Because that'd make you a hypocrite, and I hate fucking hypocrites."

_So you are here because….?_

"No, I do not."

Well, investigating was exciting, for sure, and that helped me through particularly hard aspects of investigations. But no, unlike what she thought, it wasn't for the excitement. It was for the truth. The truth always set people free, I knew.

_Though, it can make others miserable first. _

I shook away that unpleasant thought. Collateral damage, that was all. Usually of people who deserved it. No, the truth had to be revealed, and I would reveal it.

"I just want to reveal the truth. If you can help me with that, then okay, we can arrange something, but I'm not going to join your little wannabe Scooby-Doo gang."

"Hey, I'll have you know Scooby-Doo is _great_. But that's hardly the point here, is it? Well, as it happens, I like mysteries like you do, and I think that the truth is important too."

I opened my mouth to speak, but she apparently wasn't finished.

"Aaaand, I have something you will probably want to get your paws on."

_Paws? What are you, five?_ I thought judgementally as Rieka's cat ear headband jangled. Before I could ask though, she had disappeared off screen. I sighed heavily, and waited. Part of me was tempted to just end the call and go about my own business, when suddenly she reappeared, holding a red box. She took the lid off of the box, and then pulled out papers. I saw scrawled handwriting, a document headed 'autopsy report' and some photographs, though the way she was holding them the subject wasn't very clear.

"What are those?" I asked sharply.

"Weeell," Rieka's irritating grin broadened. "My uncle used to be a Detective at Towa Central. 20 years ago."

"He was on the 78-B case?"

"Yup," I said. "It was one of his biggest cases, and he's never been able to let it go. But he can't do anything about it now, so he's given all the evidence he kept about it to me. And I'm going to use it. I suspect you could really use something like what's in this box, huh?"

"I certainly could."

"I could lend it to you, you know." Rieka said. "Or let you have a little look in it."

"…Let me guess, you want me to team up with you."

"Correct! So, what do you say? Still think I'm just a little amateur?"

_Well actually, yes_. But information like that-so much of it in one place, it would save me a lot of digging. Make my own investigations more effective. The only thing was that depending on how many other people she had asked to help her, I might have to deal with a whole bunch of thrill-seeking weirdos who didn't truly understand what it meant to investigate. On the other hand, if they were desperate enough, I could still use them some way or other.

_Yes, this could work. _

"Alright," I said, decisively. "I'll join you."

"Oh awesome!"

Since she was now going to be a source of information, I could hardly roll my eyes or flip her off. I just sighed internally, and decided to get down to business.

"So, when can we meet?"

**...**

_Eikichi  
_

"What, exactly, are you doing?" I asked in bemusement as I sat cross-legged on the bed watching Shion chucking things into a suitcase. I had been checking train times on my phone, but now I had put it down since I was thoroughly distracted.

"What do you think I'm doing?" she asked, looking up to roll her bright green eyes at me. "I'm packing."

"But where are you going?" I asked.

I thought back. I hadn't been that preoccupied with sorting everything out to make sure I was free to travel back to Towa-_Towa, huh? Who would have ever thought…_-that I would have failed to notice if my fiancée was also embarking on a trip. But apparently I had been, because this question earnt me another eye-roll, and a sigh that reminded me a lot of Azami, back when she'd been spunkier.

"I'm coming with you."

This left me speechless for a moment, but I quickly recovered myself.

"You're coming with me? Why? What about your work?"

"Ah, that's no problem." A hand gesture and a grin, reminiscent of Moeka. "I sorted that out. As to why…for better and for worse, remember?"

"We're not married yet though."

"Okay, and? We're almost there." Shion said defiantly.

She turned her back to me for a moment as she put some clothes into the suitcase, then came over and clambered onto the bed, facing me.

"I know you're not too happy about all of this…" she gave me a sideways glance, knowing full well that this was an understatement.

I'd ranted a lot about why I felt like that over the past couple of days, without really going into the reasons as to whys behind the whys, so to speak. So I simply gestured to her to continue.

"…but if you have to go, then you have to go. And hopefully it'll be all over soon-if they're reopening, they must be pretty confident that this time, they will get whoever did this."

I thought of Kimiko, of her unwavering faith that the police would find us, that they would save us. She'd been one of the first to accept the reality of the situation we'd been in, and yet…and yet… Perhaps it was because of her dad's job, but she'd held onto that belief for ages, right up until she had died herself.

"But anyway, I can imagine it's going to be pretty hard for you, right? You barely even talk to me about what happened, and I know you talk to me more than both people. And like I said, for better or for worse, and all that. I want to help you through this. Because you can get through this."

Shion reached over and took my hand, and I stared. The fierce exasperation had given way to loving softness, reminding me of the first time I had told her I loved her. But also reminding me of Sadie, Sadie of the lilting voice and insistence on cooking, the solicitous way she looked over Azami after Akari had died.

When we had first met, Shion and I, in some ways she had reminded me of some of the girls from Class 78-B, but it was little more than a fleeting resemblance, something to cause a twinge but little more. It did not hurt, it did not haunt. And of course, Shion was her own person, utterly brilliant and bright, demanding of my respect and deserving of it too.

But now the reminders were flocking back in, hard and fast. _Goddamnit. _I hated whoever had decided that re-opening everything was a good idea. I couldn't quite hate Ayuna for being so persistent in her insistence in tracking me down via my professional social media-my only social media-and persuading me that reunion was necessary. But I was still annoyed by it. Did promises mean nothing anymore?

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath.

"You don't need to do that for me, I-"I stopped.

No doubt, she'd chew me out if I expressed the thoughts I was thinking about wanting to protect her from this all. Because I did, really. More than that though, I wanted her to be separate from back then. Shion was my present and my future, the rest of it was the past. Even if I had to go back to it, I wanted to keep it that way.

_But perhaps, if she came with me, then it'd be easier to see, all the ways in which she isn't like the rest of them. Perhaps by encountering it, she'd be separate again. Perhaps this will all stop haunting me, and then I can go back to my normal life. _

"Alright then," I said heavily. "You can come with me, if you really want. But if things stretch out-which they _won't_-then you need to come back. I'm not having you disrupt your life for this."

Shion grinned.

"I knew you'd see sense." She said, grinning, before giving me a quick peck on the lips and then getting off the bed again to finish packing.

I watched her for a moment, emotions whirling around my head, and then I smiled despite myself before picking my phone back up again.

* * *

**Characters introduced this chapter**

**Prospectives**

**Akemi Koizumi, SHSL Aptitude (created by: CandiedStars)  
Akagi Benbow, SHSL Archer (created by: PainX65)**


	8. Extracts 2

_Extract from interview conducted with Jin Kirigiri in his offices at Hope's Peak Academy, Towa City, April 16__th__ 2019, 11:03am. _

**In Attendance: Detective Shizuka Onoe and Ichiro Takiyama (attorney)**

S.O.: I am interested to know why you selected Class 78-B to be in charge of your Reiwa Era celebrations, if indeed you selected them.

J.K.: Yes, we did choose them, after some deliberation, but they were not the only class in charge, far from it, the two 77 classes were also in charge of the procedures-they still are, and now they're taking up the slack for 78-B, which I might add is causing delays.

S.O.: I would have imagined that the safety of your students was of more concern-

J.K.: I-I never said it wasn't _(coughs)_

S.O: But in any case, that does not answer my question-why did you select them?

J.K.: Well my colleagues, and Tengan-sama and some of my other trusted advisors who have been working with this school for a long time took a long look at the make-up of the different classes and what they bought to the table.

_(pause)_

S.O.: And what did Class 78-B bring to the table?

J.K.: Um, I don't understand why you are asking this.

I.T.: Yes, Detective, I fail to see the relevance of the questioning.

S.O.: At this stage, we are just building a bigger picture of the missing students.

J.K.: Oh…..?

S.O.: Is there a problem, Kirigiri-san?

J.K.: Well….you're already classifying them as missing?

S.O.: It has been three days since they were due to return, and some of their loved ones have not heard from them in a week. I'm sure that some of them must have contacted the school directly about this and that you are aware of some concerns.

I.T.: _(clears throat)_ Detective, please ask a question.

S.O.: Very well, I'll return to my earlier question-why Class 78-B?

J.K.: Oh, well, erm…..well, they're a very performance/publically oriented bunch, talent wise. We have the Yosakoi Dancer and the Chinese Ribbon Dancer, the two photographer twins, and the Comedian, to say nothing of the likes of the Director, the Choreographer, the Museum Tour Guide and the Agent. The skills that come with all those Talents lend themselves well to public events, and indeed having them means we can have many spectacular performance events too. On top of that, I am sure you know that apart from having a Chinese national, we have four half foreign students in Class 78-B, one of them who was raised in Brazil.

S.O.: Just to confirm, that would be Sarah Mai Hashiri, the SHSL Yosakoi Dancer?

J.K.: Yes, though I believe she has a nickname she goes by. But yes, her. In any case, with an Interpreter amongst them, we can really say that the class are a representation of what modern Japan is-a country that is truly part of the world, but still deeply committed to traditional family values, what with there being three sets of siblings.

S.O.: And naturally, you've explicitly stated these things in your publicity.

J.K.: Well, of course. Why wouldn't we?

**…**

_Extract from article 'Mixed Feelings about Re-Opening', written by Otsuka Jihara for the Towa Times, dated July 15__th__ 2039:_

…GP Tetsuji Kamiya, who used to be a forensic pathologist with the Towa Police, based at Towa Central station and the father of Moeka, one of the victims of the Hope's Peak tragedy, has expressed concerns both about the school re-opening and the investigations, stating that while it was 'about time' that the investigation was reopened, that he had some doubts about whether it was appropriate to be opening the school while the investigation was still ongoing. "This is basically giving Hope's Peak the chance to, once again, duck out of any responsibilities they might have had for Moeka's safety." He said.

On the other hand, many people have been speaking out positively about the reopening of the school, including many people who were connected to the old one, including Kazutaka Oomori, current head of Oomori Technology and the grandson of Kazunari Oomori, who was a close friend of formers Hope's Peak Principal Kazuo Tengan and Jin Kirigiri. Specifically, Oomori expressed joy that "Once again, Towa City has the opportunity to be put on the map for nurturing the cream of the crop of our youth"….

**…**

_Witness statement dated 5th June, 2019, 13:10pm:_

**Name: Shigeru Sakamoto  
Date of Birth: 07/12/1978  
Occupation: Head of Jitsunori Home Supplies, Kurashiki  
Statement taken by: Officer Juro Arisato**

"Earlier in the year, 'round January time or so, we had a large order for about 20 shower units and some toilets, just like the ones in the pictures your lady detective showed me. It was for a rich geezer, one of those ones that does charity works-I can't remember his name but I did say to your lady detective that I would be going through my records to find the order details. But anyway, he paid up and my boys prepared the orders for delivery. But the evening before they were due to be shipped out, there was a massive break-in, and that delivery as well a bunch of other items in our warehouse were stolen. We did contact the police in Kurashiki but they weren't able to work out who did it. It was a nuisance but one of our regulars who happens to also be a rich geezer gave us some cash to tide us over while we replaced the items and the orders. Oh, and so did the guy who'd ordered the twenty sets, actually. So it all worked out in the end. But still, I would not be able to tell you how they ended up in a high school in the middle of nowhere. I hope you find out though-those poor kids.

**…**

_Extract from the Wikipedia page for 'Shirohata High School' last updated February 25__th__ 2032, 21:36pm_

**Layout**

This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information

The Shirohata High School consisted of a single, three-storey building built in a square shape surrounding a courtyard. The courtyard used to consist of a carefully maintained waterfall and impressive gardens tended by the students [3] but this fell into disrepair since the school was officially closed in 1987. However, the entrance for students and teachers was the same, though there was a back door as well that led out into the school's sports grounds, long overgrown with wildlife by the time of the Class 78-B murders. [3][5]The shoebox area in the hallway was standard for high schools, though when Class 78-B were found, it was discovered that the shoeboxes had been taken away and substituted for two storage cupboards[6] .

Likewise, the school administration area-off to the left of the hallway, as well as the four classrooms situated behind it, were all demolished in order to make the dorm rooms the Class 78-B students presumably slept and washed in during their captivity, as well as a small empty room whose purpose was never established[6], . The assembly hall, gym area, home economics room, canteen (and accompanying kitchen), infirmary, school toilets and two other classrooms on this floor, were left intact, as were the corridors, though they were extensively redecorated, as were the other[6] . On the middle and top floor, there were six classrooms each-an indicator of the initial size of the school, though the school had been three form entry for 14 years before its closure [2][3] .

However, on the middle floor two were repurposed into storage cupboards and on the top floor one was. The middle floor also contained a library, a dance studio, a number of club rooms, and a music room-all apparently restocked and refurbished for the purposes of the abduction[3][6] , as were the broadcasting room, club rooms, science labs, computer room, principal's office, staff room and art studios on the top floor, though it is important to note these rooms went through several renovations during the school's running as part of the efforts to keep it running [3]. Even with this caveat, the school building had been in some disrepair before it became the venue for the Class 78-B murders.

Though the school was known to take advantage of its forest setting by including large windows that let in light, all of these were barricaded in such a way that the school relied solely on artificial light and clocks to show the passing of time. Indeed, upon their rescue, it was reported that a few of the survivors were disoriented when they were first released[6] .

…

_Extract from interview conducted with Sarah 'Sadie' Mai Hashiri and Friede 'Heiwa' Benbow at Towa Central Station, Towa City, June 7__th__ 2019, 18:45pm_

**In attendance: Nobuyuki Kurosawa (forensic psychologist), Akari Benbow (mother of Friede-acting as appropriate adult)**

NK: Don't you worry, we'll just take this slowly. How about we step back a little bit from that, and see if you can cast your minds a little further back.

FHB: When you say far back…

NK: What about when you arrived at Shirohata-that's the name of the school you were in, by the way? What happened when you got there.

SMH: Well, we didn't really arrive there, I don't really remember, I….

_(pause)_

FHB: Mhm, it is more that we woke up there. All of us, in different places. I was in the canteen, whereas Sadie, I think was in a classroom?

SMH: That's right. We were all on the one floor, but in different parts.

NK: Oh, okay then. What did you do once you woke up? Did you look for your classmates?

FHB: I did.

SMH: Well, I think I felt a little foggy at first, so I just sort of sat up and, do you know how it is when you have first woken up and you aren't really aware?

NK: Sure, sure.

SMH: And I….I was feeling a little bruised, so I think I checked myself over, oh, and my ear.

NK: Your ear?

SMH: Y-yeah _(nod),_ it felt kinda sore. Especially when I touched it, like _here (indicates spot on the top of her ear) _kind of like a bug bite, it felt like. But it wasn't serious. Free, you didn't think so, did you?

FHB: No, I didn't. When I looked I couldn't see much except it was a little red, and besides, we were bruised up too. But yeah, once I was awake, I left the canteen, and then I bumped into the Amai twins.

NK: I see, I see. And, Sadie-chan, once you were awake, what did you do?

SMH: I called out for my friends-Azami-chan and Akari-chan, and Free too. But they….they weren't there. I…I was on my own.

_(voice becomes choked and SMH attempts to choke down tears)_

NK: Hey, hey, you're doing great. Take a deep breath now, and let's see if we can keep going for a little while longer.

* * *

**I'm sure you agree that these glimpses of as-yet unintroduced living characters do not count as proper introductions, hence me choosing not to list them here as such. When will they be introduced? I do not know yet, but hopefully there won't be too many chapters before that occurs.**

**But anyway, I wonder what you think of this selection of extracts. Does it help any theories you have, or give you any other ideas? Or are you even more confused than before. Whatever you feel, I hope you enjoyed the chapter as always!**


	9. Bittersweetness

**I got super-excited and basically got myself carried away, hence you being treated to an earlier than expected update :) Do enjoy!**

* * *

_Azami_

Somewhat unsurprisingly, I woke up early.

_5:03_, the clock read. Not too bad, considering we were to wake at six in order to leave for Towa City. But still, I yawned heavily as I got up and started to get myself ready. Unusually, Jiji didn't come to mewl at me for attention, and when, about 15 minutes later, I was dressed and went to see if Eizo was awake, I discovered why.

"Meoooow." Jiji greeted me from his vantage point on Eizo's chest.

"And good morning to you to. You won't seem so pleased once we put you in the carrier." I told Jiji.

Naturally, Jiji didn't seem perturbed, and continued to watch me…well, watch Eizo.

Never in a million years would I have thought that something like this would happen. Yet, here I was, about to go to a city that I thought I'd never step foot in again, with a person I thought I would never see again. Supporting a school that I never thought would open again.

_I still don't understand, you know. _I thought silently towards him. Somehow, I could understand the choice of tattoo, but the job, I couldn't understand. I couldn't understand how casual he was about Hope's Peak. After all, no matter what extent it was to, if it wasn't for Hope's Peak, Akari and Fumiaki and all the others would never have died. How could it 'just be another job'?

Yet, I couldn't help but recall how emotional Eizo had been when he'd first set eyes on me, and the warmth of his hands when they wrapped around mine. All the happy memories he'd described to me, knowing that I could barely remember them and trying to give them back to me, because of that.

He'd described his job, too. Running his own security company, offering everything from alarm systems to better locks to bodyguards for events. But on top of that, the company apparently had a specialism in school safe-guarding procedures. Things that had been painfully absent for us. He was so sincere in how he had described it to me over our woefully inadequate ready-meal dinners (which he had praised lavishly, nonetheless), I couldn't help but have some faith.

_But I'm scared…_

"Mmm?"

I jumped back as Eizo stirred. He rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up on the sofa, making Jiji jump off and meow furiously, looking very betrayed. I blushed furiously, realising that I had just indeed been standing here a good few minutes.

"It's okay, you don't need to be scared." He said sleepily.

"I-what? " I blinked, confused. "Wait, I said that aloud?"

"Probably." Eizo shrugged, and despite the fact he'd just woken up, his eyes twinkled. "Also, good morning."

"Um…yeah, good morning."

Eizo smiled, but then his expression settled into something more serious, though still kind.

"You're still thinking about what we were talking about, right?" he asked.

"I..yeah."

_And_, now that I was thinking of it, _all the things that we hadn't talked about._ Such as the situation that had led us to this point in the first place. I studied Eizo's face, the scar under his right eye and the other near his mouth. Those, I knew, had to have been acquired back then. But how? And, perhaps, most importantly, who? Did I even want to know?

"Who was it, that did that to you?"

Apparently, I did. Even as I pointed, the revelation surprised me, and my eyes widened pretty much the same way Eizo's did at the question. He studied me for a moment, then sighed, rubbing his head, not saying anything for a moment, but then:

"Lao."

"La-" even as I hated myself for this forgetting, it took me a moment. "_Lilian-chan_?"

Eizo simply nodded at that.

"Oh."

So, it had been Lilian, huh? She had no doubt died too, but how? And when? I was pretty sure she had been around immediately after Akari had died, but beyond that…that was the trouble with this. One question would lead to another, and yet another, and yet another. Eventually, it would lead to the question whose answer I both needed and dreaded the most:

_Who killed Akari?_

"Hey, Azami," Eizo got up, stepped in front of me, took my hands once again. "I can't promise that it will all be okay, 100%. But I can promise that I will do everything in my power to help things be as alright as possible. And that's why I've taken the job at New Hope's Peak. As for everything else…well, I guess we'll have to see what happens when we meet everyone again. But …the promise doesn't matter anymore. You're not alone anymore. So…yeah. You know."

My lips wobbled, and I clamped them together tightly. I didn't know why-it was not as if it mattered if I cried. After all, Eizo had cried in front of me yesterday morning. But still, I held it in while I nodded. Eizo studied me for a moment, then let go of my hands, and unexpectedly, ruffled my hair before stepping back.

"Well, I'd better get myself ready."

"Mmm," I murmured, with some effort. "I'll throw some breakfast together. "

Eizo gave me a thumbs-up, then headed to the bathroom. I stayed there for a moment, dazed, so much whirling through my head. Slowly, I smoothed my hair back down, and then, with Jiji insistently pestering me, I went to the kitchen.

**…**

As we approached Towa City, Eizo began to point places out to me.

"That karaoke bar, some of the upperclassmen really liked. As in, really liked. Hata-chii wanted to go there for his birthday the first year we were all in there, but they, well, drove us out. But luckily, there was another cool place a few streets away-Moeka told us about it. I can't believe it's still here-I wonder if the other will be."

"Hata-chii…he died before Akari, didn't he?" I asked, hating that was what I remembered.

Desperately, I tried to build a picture of him in my mind. Blond, though darker than Eizo's (or rather, Fumiaki's, since back then Eizo didn't have his natural colour on show), sleepy blue eyes, choker necklace, pierced ears and a surprisingly smart dress sense for someone who seemed really dopey most of the time. I think I had earmarked him as 'weird'. There'd been a fair few 'weird' types in our class.

"_Awwww, come on, chill out. This is probably some weird prank or summat, innit?" Rin said, stretching out, long limbs seeming to sprawl out everywhere. "Let's not get all het up 'bout it, okay?"_

"Yeah." Eizo said, softly.

His smile faded for a moment.

"He was…it was Fumi, who….you know."

"Yeah."

He could not say it, so I would not make it worse by being the one to say it myself. Besides, I wasn't sure that even I could outrightly say it. Hell, it was hard enough to think it. Perhaps in some way, it had been a mercy that Akari had died how she had, though even _that_ was hard enough to think about.

"This was Moeka's old elementary school, or rather, where it used to be. It's still a school, as you can see, but it's run by a different principal, and it has a facility for deaf kiddos too. She gave a bunch of us tours around the town, because she lived here. Ohh, and that's the place. The funeral home she used to work at."

I stared at the grey building, at the two vases of flowers that flanked the door. Lilies, appropriately funereal. I wondered if they'd been the type that Moeka had liked. I knew that she liked flowers a lot, and yellow chrysanthemums had been a particular favourite-I'd given her a photograph of some when she'd gushed over it-but that, I couldn't remember. _I should remember, shouldn't I? We had been friends, after all. _

Eizo continued, and I let him. Sometimes, a glimmer of things came back to me, and I was able to add something to the monologue, but mostly it was just that, a monologue. One that made it exceedingly clear that I'd lost so much more than just Akari. But with Eizo, perhaps there was a way of getting something back.

_Perhaps, if the truth was found out this time, that would be a way of getting things back too. _

It went on for a little moment-different places, some still the same as what they had been in the memories that Eizo described to me, and others utterly changed beyond recognition. But all the same, a picture started to compose itself in my mind. Hazy, but there all the same. Enough for me to ask:

"Hold on, isn't this the way to…."

The words caught in my throat, and Eizo glanced over at me. I could see the worry in his eyes and I could not help but feel guilty. I tried to say something, but the words caught in my throat.

_Say something, say something. Breathe…Azami, breathe. _

I sensed the car slow down and then gradually grind to a halt. I felt Eizo's hand cover mine, and I looked down at it as he gripped it tightly.

"They demolished the place in the January after everything happened, and they've built over it. " Eizo said. "Can…is it okay if I show you?"

"I…just…." I couldn't look up, could barely speak. "Describe."

It was silly of me, all things considered. It was not as if any of it had happened in Hope's Peak itself. But still, it all linked back, didn't it? If they had taken better care of us, Akari wouldn't be dead. If we hadn't been allowed on that road trip, Akari wouldn't be dead. If we had never received those letters in the firs-

I gulped down another breath, forced myself to listen to Eizo's voice, concentrating on the light tone of it, focusing on the warm weight of his hand alongside it.

"Okay, well….most of it is given over to a mall. There's an ice-cream parlour next to it, and a couple blocks of flats, with a shared garden between them. And there's a park, it doubles as a bird reserve. All sorts of birds, all different colours. Even hummingbirds."

Eizo paused, giving me the space to respond. But I was too busy concentrating on my breathing-even though it was starting to even out again, I could not accept the space. But Eizo's hand never left mine. And the warm weight, the light tone, gradually, they seemed to be doing something.

"Maybe, when this is all over, before we go back to our lives and all that, I could take you? I think you'd like it. It looks beautiful there, from the pictures I've seen."

_But I haven't touched a camera since we escaped. _

Instead of saying that thought-how could I?-I gulped and finally made myself look at Eizo, who had simply been looking at me patiently. He smiled when my eyes met his, as if I hadn't just been having a minor breakdown. Or maybe it was because he had sensed it. Either way, he was being kind, and even though I was a mess, I couldn't not acknowledge that in some way.

"Maybe."

"Awesome!" Eizo said, pleased. "But for now, shall I drive a different way? It's alright, I'll be able to figure it out! I've had to come down here a few times, so I've gotten used to the new roads and things."

"Please." I said.

"Cool!"

Eizo's hand left mine-something which, oddly, disappointed me-and he turned the car around, before setting off back past some of the things we'd driven past, before taking a turn and then continuing on. He continued to share more memories with me, but eventually trailed off, allowing me to just look out of the window, and watch everything go by as I let the new information settle, let it paint in more details in the blurry picture. But even as those details were painted in, it was still blurry, and I realised that all of a sudden, more than anything, I wanted it to be clear.

Yet, I still didn't want this to be happening.

Eventually, Eizo drove into a carpark, and found an empty space, and then parked.

"That's the rental place," he said, gesturing to the building next to us. "We're in 6. I'll just get a permit sticker."

"Should I start to take our bags up then?" I asked as I got out of my side.

"Yeah, sure." Eizo got out, and then handed me a keyfob over the top of the car. "Here's the key to the boot."

I nodded as I accepted it, and as Eizo went to the ticket machine, I stared at it for a little while. It was just a little key, just a little errand, but…._breathe_, I reminded myself yet again, before I went around to the boot, and unlocked it. Almost as soon as I did that, I realised it would've made more sense to take the ones in the back seat first, but it was a bit late now. I hauled the two suitcases out, then locked the boot and started to drag them around the side of the building…only to realise that I couldn't get in.

I stared at the gate, and at the little buzzers for each apartment-10, this building ran up to. What do I do now? Logically, the answer was: wait for Eizo, but I felt unmoored, confused. This felt like something that I could have dealt with if I wasn't so broken and fractured. Normal adults didn't suddenly feel like they were freewheeling in a void at minor setbacks.

"Excuse me."

I started at the gruff voice, and realised that the gate had opened. I stepped aside and let the owner of the voice through. He gave me a suspicious look from underneath bushy eyebrows, but then his dark brown eyes drifted to the bags, and I assumed he must have realised that I was also someone coming to stay in an apartment. He coughed, gruffly, and made as if to continue down the street when suddenly he turned around, and looked at me searingly, frown deepening. I blinked and stepped back slightly, taken aback, but even as I did, realisation dawned that there was something that seemed familiar about him. More than that, but there was something about me that seemed familiar to me. But no matter how I studied his wrinkled, surly face, I simply could not figure it out.

It occurred to me that I should say something, anything, but before I could think of anything, the man shook his head, muttered something under his breath, and turned back around and set off, limping slightly as he did so. And at that moment, Eizo appeared, with the rest of our bags.

"Everything okay?"

"Um…I can't get in." I managed to say after a moment of gormless blinking.

"Oh." Eizo stared at me, then the gate, and laughed. "Ohhhh. I should've thought of that, I am so sorry!"

Eizo laughed and laughed, and after a moment, I couldn't help but chuckle too. Only a little bit, and nervously. But still, a laugh was a laugh.

And unexpectedly, it felt good.

**…**

Any good feelings that I had started to feel over the course of the morning so far had started to dissipate by the time we had arrived at the café where we were supposed to be meeting Ayuna and a couple of others, it seemed, though Eizo hadn't been clear on who else was here by now. All of them? Just Ayuna? Ayuna and one other person?

_Breathe, Azami, breathe, _I told myself as I followed Eizo through the door of the nautically-decorated establishment (a place that had opened about 10 years ago, apparently, so not a place associated with memories, something that I was both relieved and disappointed to find out).

"She'll be in a booth, looks like it's those over there." Eizo said, indicating.

I nodded, and followed him, weaving in and out of tables, muttering apologies to people I bumped into, all while feeling more and more like I was spinning and spinning and…

"Eizo-kun? Azami-chan?"

That voice, it tugged at me in the same way the old man's appearance from earlier tugged at me. I looked up to see a woman about to get into a booth, wearing a pretty pale green sundress, her pale brown hair shoulder length. I stared, details from the picture in my mind seeming to sharpen just a little, slotting her appearance and the sound of her voice.

"Sadie-chan?"

It appeared that Eizo had caught up, for when he uttered this, all I could think was, of course. So much was obviously different, but now it was clear that this person could be nobody else but Sadie.

_How? How could I have forgotten?_

The three of us stared at each other for a moment. Sneaking a glance at Eizo, I wondered if he would cry again, like had after seeing me. But no, for all he was as wide-eyed and wondrous as he had been before, he was completely dry eyed. As for me…well, I was no closer to knowing how I felt now, than I was before. Just that everything seemed that it was both still and in perpetual motion at the same time, and that it was beyond my control.

Another moment passed. I tried to concentrate on the sensations in the surroundings, to try and ground me a little. But then, eventually, Sadie shook her head, and the moment ended:

"I…I go by Mai now. But yes, um…Ayuna-chan is here too…come, come on."

**…**

_Ayuna_

I hardly dared believe that this was happening until I saw for myself the two people following Mai into the booth. I recognised Eizo well, since we'd actually been talking for a while before this had all come to be-though of course, this was the first time in person and actually seeing him with neater, blond hair and the injuries turned to scars was enough to have me double take. But seeing Azami, that was a different story.

"Hey there. You look well, both of you." I said, fiddling with my black leather jacket.

"Ayuna! Wow, you look pretty cool yourself! I like that top!" Eizo said. "And of course, Sadi-ah, sorry, Mai! You look lovely too!"

Azami simply tilted her head slightly, and regarded me sceptically. I smiled at her, hoping to convey that I did mean it. Because alright, she did look somewhat tired and plain, nothing like the sparky person she had once been. But she was looking around her, alert. She was neat, and she was here. She was here.

"Thanks, Eizo-kun." Mai said into the silence.

But straight after that, silence was what it was. The four of us stared at each other, all of us waiting for another to say something. It occurred to me that for the most part, we had become strangers. Once we'd been part of a close-knit group, sharing so much together. Then, we'd had to depend on each other in ways beyond imagination.

And now, we were strangers. And that was at least partially our own fault.

_I can rail about that later. _And, I knew I was sure to, particularly with Eikichi and Takaaki, who, best I recalled, had been the strongest proponents of it. But now…now the thing to do was to bridge the gap. Get them all used to the possibility that maybe it would be alright to speak up at last.

"It's nice to see you all again, it really is. I wish we could have done it under better circumstances, though."

"Would we have though?" Azami asked. "I thought, because of the promise."

I blinked at that. So, she knew about it? I wanted to ask, but at the same time, it seemed amiss. I did not quite want to admit that even though she hadn't been able to consent to it-even if unwillingly-we had made the promise anyway. It didn't matter that I had tried and failed to reach out once anyway. In a way, we had tricked her. Which made it all the more important that we were meeting up.

"Yes, I knew." Azami said softly, as if she heard the question anyway.

"I asked the same thing as well," Eizo piped up, sheepish expression on his face. "I guess it means that at least you weren't wondering what had happened, right?"

"Well, truth be told, I had…a lot to deal with."

I could only imagine. The state Azami had been in, it must have taken a lot for her to get to the point where she was today. Even now, her posture was hunched, and she watched us all guardedly, only softening a little when Eizo threw her a smile. I pushed a cake slice (I'd thought to order a few, trying to remember the tastes we'd had back then) towards her, and though she accepted it with a nod, she mostly picked at it.

"But even so, Azami-chan, I'm so sorry, for my part." Mai said, profusely. "It wasn't right for me to leave you like that. I should have…I don't know."

Mai's voice hitched, and she stopped, taking a breath. Azami looked at her, then shook her head.

"It's alright. I should have thanked you, really. I'm sure you were the one who helped me the most, after…you know."

She looked around at the busy café. I could understand her reticence.

"We're not going to talk about everything here," I said, quickly. "Just, I figured we needed a place to properly regroup, and then we could talk logistics."

"Where are the others, anyway?" Mai asked. "I know that Free is coming down later today-we messaged each other about it."

I startled a little at Friede's old nickname. Back then, pretty much all of us had called her by her Japanese name, Heiwa, but right from the start Mai had gone for this shortening of Friede. Free. Like free will, free choice, freedom. When we had been trapped, it had seemed a cruel irony that one of us could be called that when we were all trapped. Had I been annoyed at her for that? I suspected I might have been, especially after Seiko's death, and I remembered that Takaaki had questioned it a couple of times, in that particular way that he had.

"Oh, that's something-do you know when she'd get here?"

"I think she said tonight…" Mai said, cautiously.

"…have you all been breaking the promise, then?" Azami asked, not looking up from where she was very closely examining the cake she was still picking at.

"W-what? No!" Mai exclaimed, startled.

Eizo-who had actually been eating cake-had to swallow abruptly so that he didn't choke, but once he did, he looked at me with wide eyes, no doubt asking if it was okay to mention our prior contact. I nodded. I didn't want there to be any more secrets though.

_Or, at least, for there to be as few as possible. _

"Well, Ayuna and I, we kinda bumped into each other by chance a while back and when we both realised that we missed you all, and that we both thought the promise was bullshit, we just decided to keep in touch from time to time, figured that nobody'd ever really know. We never met in person or anything, though. And as you know, I gave you my business card and you only used it now." Eizo said.

"I started tracking you all down once I found out-after Eizo, Mai was one of the first I managed to find, so I asked her to help me. Because she and Heiwa-chan were close, because of them being fellow hāfus and all that, she offered to help with that. I managed to find Hanamura and Takaaki-Hanamura will be here this evening or thereabouts, Takaaki tomorrow morning by the way. But anyway, we managed all that though social media and things, right?"

"Mhm." Mai added. "And Free, it turned out her son used to attend ballet classes at the school I work at, so that helped."

Azami had been listening to this intently, and finally she looked up. I couldn't work out what it was that she was thinking. A moment went by, and eventually she nodded.

"I see."

"Quite the detective trio we made, huh?" Eizo laughed.

_Detective trio, huh? _I thought of the detectives who had been on the case before. In some ways, I felt I could understand them. Certainly, I had more insight into 'detectiving' as I remembered Yuki putting it once, when he'd still thought our situation was all just a weird joke, than any detective could have ever imagined. But still, back then, even with that understanding, I could never had told back then. There had been no way.

"_What is it, Seiko?"_

"_I…well." Seiko looked down at the bundle of papers in her lap. "Do you remember how it was implied that selected members of the class received the 'your fault' motivation? The one that managed to get under Amai-kun's skin?"_

"_Under his skin? That's a bit of an understat-but yeah, how could I forget? But what about it?"_

"_I was one of those other people."_

"_You-well, it's ridiculous, you know that, right? How could it be your fault?!" I steamed, instantly incensed. "It's just that bear-well, whatever psycho is operating the bear-trying to mess with us…."_

And it's working, isn't it_, a little voice asked. I growled slightly, only to see Seiko's eyes widen in surprise. _

"_Sorry, that wasn't-"_

"_It's fine, Osamu. It's just that I've been thinking about everything I was doing over the past couple of months, and then I extended that over into the past year or so, and I've started to realise that actually, there is a very good chance that under certain interpretations, us being here could very well be seen as 'my fault'."_

"_Seiko, what the ever-loving hell are you on about?"_

_Seiko sighed, sadly, and then she held up the pile of papers so that I could see the front of them more clearly. I stared at the typing on the sheet, and though I realised what it was she was holding, I didn't understand what she meant. _

_Luckily for me, Seiko seemed to sense my confusion, for she put it back down on her lap, and patted the space next to her on the bed. _

"_Sit down, Osamu. I need to explain properly."_

Perhaps if I did now, I would apologise to them for that.

"But anyway, since we're waiting for them, why don't we sorta, I dunno, catch each other up on our lives?" Eizo suggested quickly, just as another silence threatened. "Sorta get to know each other again."

"Yes," I agreed quickly, letting out a sigh of relief. "Yes, that would be best."

**…**

_Kenichi_

I needed this moment.

This one, single moment where I just sat here, gazing upon all that was physically left of my daughter. A set of bones. There had been fibres, a fastening or two, things like that, found in her coffin and these had all been taken for the standard tests. All that was left here was her skeleton, some strands of her blond hair still attached to her skull.

Because I could not be the one to do this examination, just as I could not have been with her first autopsy (even though with the fact there had been twelve other corpses to try and get answers from back then, they could have used the extra hands-but still, I understood), I did not touch her. It was already technically irregular that I was having this moment. Superintendent Onoe hadn't been too happy about the request, stickler for rules that she was. I wore gloves, just to be on the safe side, but I did not touch her. Not even to stroke her forehead like I did when she was sick, or to hold her hand as I would have had when she was little and still needed an adult to help her cross the road.

But that didn't mean I couldn't analyse her carefully with my eyes. So that was what I did.

From the phalanges of her foot, to her pelvis , from her radius to her ulna, and all the way up to her skull, the facial features that she had once informed me were similar to mine in bone structure-we both tended towards 'sharp' in that sense, apparently. She'd been so pleased when she had told me that, I remembered.

I bent my head close to hers, near to where her ear would have been, wanting to whisper something to her. But then, I noticed something. It looked a little like a piercing, or a hole for one, but not in the conventional place a girl's piercing would go. Unless the girl in question was particularly punk or something, but even though Kimiko hadn't been that-and indeed, when I'd had to identify her I had spotted no such piercing. It didn't seem like an injury, either….

Aware of someone coming in, I straightened. Casting one more gaze over Kimiko's skeleton, I got up, and looked at Harada, who looked at me with pity in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but we nee-"

"It's fine," I said with a tired wave. "I know how it goes. Besides, I have things to do, myself. Just…take care of her, alright?"

"Of course." Harada said with a respectful nod.

I sighed, and reluctantly got up.

"Oh," I said. "There was something strange about her ear-well, not her ear as such, but I'm sure you'll notice what I mean. Could you check that, too? It might have some relevance."

"Of course." Harada said again.

This time, he was neutral. Of course, that was all he could be. And I understood that, despite everything. So I just nodded in return, and trudged back to my work.

* * *

**Characters introduced:**

**Victims**

**Rin Hatakawayama, former SHSL Music Critic (my OC)**

**I also apologise for the somewhat lackluster chapter title-coming up with them is hard -.-'**


	10. Beyond

**This is a behemoth of a chapter that I couldn't chop in half, but also I have poured much into this so yeah, please enjoy!**

* * *

_Rieka_

I had just finished getting ready when I heard the doorbell ring. I let out a sigh of frustration, but then I heard my mother going to answer the door.

"Oh, you must be Rieka's new friend!" I heard her exclaim. "Otsuka-chan, right?"

"Yes, that's right." I heard the journalist's voice say, smooth as anything. "Otsuka Jihara. I'm sure your daughter told you, but we are going to be classmates next year at New Hope's Peak."

"Yes, yes, that's right."

I bristled at the charm coming off of Otsuka's voice. No doubt it would disappear the moment we were alone. _Oh well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. _I brushed down the skirt of my dress, and made my way down the stairs.

"Hey there!" I said, cheerfully once I was just over half-way down.

Otsuka, having taken off her admittedly very stylish studded ankle boots, looked up at me. She had an inviting smile on her face, but it seemed to sharpen when she looked at me.

"Do you want to come straight up?" I asked, putting on my best polite voice.

"Sure, sure."

"Do you want a drink, Otsuka-chan?"

Otsuka picked up her bag and straightened, before turning on the charm for my mother once again.

"Not for now thanks, Amasaki-san."

"That's fine. Maybe I'll bring something up later. Nicky and I are baking."

"Sounds fine to me. Rieka, shall we go?"

Now, I wasn't one to be overly stuffy about formalities-that was just the mark of a pretentious person, to me. But Otsuka's casual intimacy in addressing me made me bristle. Naturally, though, I smiled and nodded. My mother went back into the kitchen, and the two of us went back upstairs.

"Welcome to my humble abode," I said sarcastically as I got to my bedroom door and opened it. "Hopefully it won't be too _frivolous_ for you."

"Your room doesn't have anything to do with the investigation, so why would I care about that?" Otsuka retorted.

I bit back my response as I went to the desk and picked up the box. Since I figured with the two of us spreading it out on the floor would be the easiest thing to do, I took it to the middle of my room, sitting on my fluffy rug. Otsuka raised an eyebrow, and sat down as well, eyeing the box greedily and practically pouncing on it the moment she could. I simply waited, letting the contents speak for themselves.

"Alright, so remind me," Otsuka said after a moment, holding up some of Uncle Matsuo's hand-written notes. "How did you come to get this box?"

"Oh, did the name _Matsuo Amasaki_ not ring any bells for you?" I asked, not able to hold back my snideness for this. "Or was your investigating not diligent enough?"

Otsuka narrowed her blue eyes at me before answering.

"One of the main detectives on the original case. There was also a Detective Shizuka Onoe-she's a Superintendent now, but I doubt she's just going to stay at her desk all day with this one. But anyway, I'll bite at your not-so-subtle dig there-he's clearly a relative of yours."

"My uncle." I admitted.

"Okay, and the reason you have these is because?"

"Why not? He can't solve the case himself anymore, he's not on the force. And I'm capable of solving mysteries."

Otsuka snorted at this, but at least had the grace to not cast any more insults. Still, she seemed to be looking down her nose at me, in that sort of sniffy I'm-not-like-other-girls way. Though, to be fair, I guess not that many girls were interested in solving tragic cold cases.

"Well, this is good stuff. Which I presume that you are not going to let me take away with me."

"Hell no. You can make notes or whatever, but don't even think about it." I said hotly.

"I don't suppose you can set up an interview with him, though?" Otsuka asked, her eyes gleaming at the thought. "Even though this case was a complete baffler to law enforcement at the time, their input will be valuable."

I had, actually, anticipated that she would ask this question, and I'd already found a copy of Uncle Matsuo's buisness card in preparation to give her, putting it in my jeans pockets. But for whatever reason, I was feeling stubborn and annoyed by Otsuka.

"Tsh, aren't police and journalists supposed to hate each other?" I asked.

"And I thought you were supposed to be against utter clichés." Otsuka retorted hotly. "But whatever, can you, or can't you?"

"Do you even want to work with me?" I asked. "Or are you just here to get sources and run?"

We stared each other down for a long time, before Otsuka sighed and put down the notes she had been idly flicking through, regarding me curiously.

"Why do you want me to work with you? It's clear we find each other mutually irritating, is it not?"

Well, that much was true, I had to admit. Yet, I hadn't contested Mitsuhide's interest in joining my mystery team, even though I thought much the same of him. Well, sort of. I still thought he was a puffed-up flirt with a narrating style that should've been patented at an insomnia cure, but at the same time, hadn't half this mess started because I'd thought his opinion was worth something once? Similarly, Otsuka was snooty and condescending as all hell, and yet I knew she was good at what she did. I wanted her to see that I was more than some girl spouting opinions on the internet. I was not perfect or special, but I had mettle. I could do things. And this was the perfect opportunity to prove that-of course I was going to strike.

"Ohh, you know what they say, if you can't beat your enemies, join them." I ended up saying instead, grinning. "Or rather, get them to join you."

"I'd hardly call us enemies, despite all this." Otsuka said, raising an eyebrow. "But, you know what, fine. Whatever. I can see some benefits to this so I'll go with your little Nancy Drew escapade."

"My, you are well versed in classic children's mysteries, aren't you?" I couldn't help but tease.

"So, tell me," Otsuka said, apparently choosing to ignore me (which, fair). "Who else will be joining us."

"Mitsuhide Okita, soon to be SHSL Audiobook Narrator, Akemi Koizumi, soon to be SHSL Aptitude, Akagi Benbow, soon to be SHSL Archer and Akio Arisato, soon to be SHSL Lucky Student."

"Lucky Student, huh? So in that respect at least New Hope's Peak is mirroring the old one. Interesting."

"I don't really think that means anything, as such. It didn't really have any bearing with what happened, did it? That year's Lucky Student wasn't in that class." I pointed out.

Otsuka nodded very seriously at this.

"No, you're right. I just wonder how much New Hope's Peak will be mirroring the old. But I plan on finding out tomorrow."

"T-tomorrow?" I stuttered, startled.

"Yeah, didn't you know?"

"Know what?" I asked, frustrated.

"I take it you've not checked your emails or your Student Portal notifications?"

"No…."

Otsuka grinned at this.

"Let me show you."

She took out her mobile phone from her own pockets, and tapped at the screen a few moments before she handed the phone to me. I found myself staring at a message on the Student Portal about 'early-look tours' since the building was apparently at a safe enough stage to do this. It emphasised that though these would be quick since there was still a lot of work to do and there were going to be more in-depth tours closer to the time of expected opening, they would still be an opportunity for the new prospective students to be able to get a sense of where they'd be spending the next three years of their education, as well as ask questions.

_Oh boy, are they going to ask questions._

"This could prove pretty useful, couldn't it? Especially if we manage to actually get to talk to Kyosuke Munakata himself." I said.

Otsuka nodded at this.

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

"Well then, that will have to be our team's first meeting, won't it?" I said. "I'll contact them all-they probably won't see it until later, as I think all their schools only end today. But yeah, let's do this!"

Otsuka grinned in agreement, looking as excited as I felt. I handed back her phone, and she slipped it back into her pocket, before returning to surveying the array of papers around us. And as we began to talk about what we knew and thought of the original case, I found myself beginning to actually like her.

**…**

_Tetsuji_

As I trudged back to the flat, I looked around, wondering if the girl was still around. Or rather, woman, but considering she had looked a similar age to what Moeka would have been if she'd been alive, I could not help but think of her as being a girl. And there'd been something in the panicked way she had looked at the gate that had seemed so very young. Like she needed to be looked after. But then again, as I'd walked away I'd heard a man's voice, so perhaps she was.

But of course, none of that would have mattered if it wasn't for the fact that she looked familiar. I couldn't place it, but I was convinced that I had seen that face before.

I unlocked the door, and went in, taking the shopping bags to the kitchen and unloading the ready meals and few fresh ingredients into the fridge. And then, once I had done that, taking one of the ready meals out of the fridge, because I was hungry. And as much I didn't want to sit around and eat when I could be doing _something_, I wasn't completely deranged. I wasn't going to be any use if I passed out from hunger. So, I warmed it up, and once it was done, I took it over to the living room, tucked in, and stewed.

I had been to see Matsuo Amasaki today, knowing that he was retired and just as unable to be directly involved in the investigation as I was. And I thought it had been worth the visit first, as he'd talked to me. For some reason, he only had scans of his notes that he showed me via a tablet, rather than his own notes, but he had shown them to me, and I had shared what I suspected about the other incidences. And we were both sure that the staff of Hope's Peak knew more than they had said. Way more.

"_What is it?" I demanded, beginning to get up, but then faltering. "Have you got news?"_

"_We went to interview Kirigiri again," Matsuo said. "Specifically about the complaints that a number of the class members had about being followed. We specifically mentioned Moeka-chan?"_

"_And?" I asked. "What did they say? Were they able to give you a name?"_

"_That's the problem," Shizuka said. "He was quite insistent that there hadn't been any complaints made, at all. "_

"_But-that's not…are you saying that Moeka was lying to me?"_

"_That's not all, though," Shizuka continued on briskly. "But we also questioned him closely about how they hadn't had the potential disappearance bought to the school's attention and they staunchly denied having ever received calls or messages from any parent."_

_That made me rise out of my chair, shaking all over. _

"_Now that I can tell you is a fucking lie! I called them, Hanami called them, Tsukuda called them! I've even had the mother of Sen'ya Ochiai track us down so we could help her talk to the school! Over and over!"_

"_Kamiya-san…" Shizuka began, but I cut her off. _

"_Wait right there! I'll show you!"_

_The chair was slightly in my way, so I forcefully pushed it away and then went to where I kept my things-I supposed under the circumstances I could keep my phone with me but apparently habit still overruled me. But I had set a new, extra loud ringtone, so if Moeka did call, I would know for sure. That, or my colleagues would be annoyed enough to answer it and pass the phone on to me immediately. But once I found it, I stormed back, unlocking and looking for what I needed as I did. Then, I shoved the phone into Shizuka's face. _

"_Detective Onoe, look at this and tell me I'm lying."_

"_What's that?" Matsuo asked. _

"_It's his call log." Shizuka said shortly, scrolling through it. _

_There were a few moments of silence while they looked through it. Then, Matsuo looked up at me._

"_We'll need to access your phone records. Do you give us permission to do that?" he asked. _

_I almost deflated from the relief, before remembering there was nothing really to be relieved about. Moeka hadn't been found yet, after all. _

"_Yes! Take the phone for all I-no, don't, actually. But yes!"_

I still had that old phone, and it still had that log of calls. So very many calls, outnumbered only by those I had made to Moeka over that long, long month-and-a-half, back when I still had hope. Matsuo had bought it up, actually, in amongst the things that we had talked about, but then in the end, he had concluded that it was best if I "stayed back and let the ones who are actually detectives do their job". Just thinking about it, I put my chopsticks down in disgust. They'd failed the first time, and technically Matsuo had been a part of that. I'd not said as much, but we'd ended it there, and then I'd gone food shopping since I knew that it'd probably be necessary. And then I had come and sat here, and I was stewing, wondering what to do next.

_I was shaking as I walked away from the morgue, rage bubbling up in me. Perhaps there was reason in not having me autopsy my own daughter, but what about the other children? What about them? This was my job, after all, and they would help uncover what had happened to Moeka. Wishy-washy as I thought the expression was, the dead could 'speak' in ways the living couldn't, especially if the living weren't even speaking. Why they thought that they could get anything from any of them when they'd been so stubborn-_

_My thoughts ground to a halt as I realised that I was heading to one of the interview rooms. I stopped, and tried to collect myself for a moment, when suddenly the door opened, and I saw the forensic psychologist herding a girl out. I stared at her pink hair for a moment. _

"_Azami." _

"_Oh, what are you doi-"_

_They paused, but though Nobuyuki looked at me cautiously, Azami didn't react. Instead, she looked down, her hands in the pockets of her lilac hoodie, seeming to sway slightly. _

_I stepped forward, putting myself in her line of vision, even bending ever so slightly to try and gain some sort of eye contact. _

"_Azami, it's Moeka's dad. Can't you tell me, what happened? What happened to Moeka?" _

"_Hey, Kam-"_

"_What happened to her, Azami? Did you see it? Did you see what happened to Moeka, or did the murderer take her away from you all."_

_Azami lifted her head slightly, but her gaze seemed far away, somewhere over my shoulder, and a little part of me noticed that her face seemed blank. But still, I pressed on. _

"_Azami, answer me, please. Moeka was your friend, wasn't she? Yours and Akari's, too. She really liked both of you, she told me that."_

"_Akari…." Azami murmured._

"_Yes, I know, Akari died too, so tell me!" I grabbed her shoulders. "Azami, just tell me!"_

_Azami blinked, and mumbled something, wrapping her arms around herself almost absently. I strained to hear it, though what I did hear sounded like nonsense. But it couldn't be. It couldn't be. She had to know something. _

"_What was that? What did you say?"_

"_Kamiya-san, what do you think you are doing?"_

_I felt someone grab at my shoulders and pull me back, and I stumbled, letting go of Azami before rearing back and looking to see Matsuo, alongside a couple of rookies. _

"_Arisato-kun, Matsumoto-kun, help Kurosawa-san take Azami back. I don't want her to become more upset. Kishinami-san, I am so sorry about this."_

"_I, that's fine…"_

"_Yes, sir!" Arisato said, before he and Gabe went to do just that. _

_I watched as they flanked the girl, as if _shielding_ her from me. For her part, Azami had seemed to fold into herself, looking down again, taking whatever answers she had with her. I noticed a short woman accompanying them, looking a little overwhelmed as she flicked glances between us and Azami, and I watched as they disappeared. _

"_What did you do that for?" I demanded. "I was talking to her!"_

"_Exactly!" Matsuo stormed. "It's one thing for you to try and keep doing your job during all this, but what do you think you're doing, interrogating a vulnerable witness?"_

"_She saw what happened! She must have! She must have!"_

"_Yes, and she's catatonic, or didn't you notice this? You also had to do it in front of her mother, didn't you? I'll have to go and formally apologise to her later."_

_I glared mutinously, but Matsuo seemed just as furious. _

Thinking of that, it somehow wasn't surprising that Matsuo was trying to warn me off, just like everyone else was in the end. I could just ignore him though, the same as I would be for everyone else trying to dissuade me. I could mostly do this alone, anyway, at least until I needed to get my findings substantiated. And there was at least the journalist girl. If Kenichi and Harada decided to be stubborn and not give me any morsels for whatever reason, she would at least do so.

With a sigh, I got up to throw away the carton and chopsticks, and it was as I was washing my hands, it hit me. _No, wait, could it be? _I dried my hands quickly, and returned to the living room as fast as my leg would allow me, before going over to the wall where I had made, well, a makeshift 'wall' –which included photographs of Class 78-B as they had been then. I went right up to it, and plucked a photograph up.

"Azami Kishinami."

That's who it was. Of course it was. Black-haired, older, but it was definitely her. Now that I had her in my head, I could say it was her.

"So, she's come back? For the investigation?" I wondered aloud, the picture trembling in my hand. "And she's here?"

Even better, she was no longer a catatonic teenager, a vulnerable witness. I wouldn't get into trouble for talking to her this time, and maybe this time she'd be able to shed some light.

But first, I had to wait for her to come back.

**…**

_Ritsuka_

"Okay, and then he was lik-heyy, Nerd, are you even listening to me?" Tasuku's voice, having been going along in its usual cheerful pratter suddenly took on a whining note over the bleeping of his video game.

"Sure sure, you're totally getting ribbed because you've got to take summer classes." I said tiredly, looking up from my laptop screen. "Didn't I say you probably should've studied for the end-of-terms?"

"Ritsuuuuuu." Tasuku pouted at me, but I just stared back, and eventually he dropped the look.

"Don't tell me to change your scores on the school system cos you know what my answer will be."

"Yeah, yeah."

Tasuku rolled his eyes, and I rolled them in return, earning yet another pout.

"So, what are you trying to hack into this time?" he asked, jokingly. "Your scores?"

"My scores are perfectly adequate, because I actually studied," I replied cuttingly. "But, I'm not actually hacking. I'm browsing the internet."

"Oh?"

Tasuku paused his game, apparently intrigued, and then came over to the worn sofa I was sitting on, sitting down heavily and peering over my shoulder.

"'No need to worry about missing teenagers because they are SHSL-former Principal's comments cause outrage', Ritsu, what's all this about?"

"Hope's Peak." The _obviously _went unsaid, but I was fairly sure it was clear enough in the first place.

"This is all the stuff about the old school, right?" Tasuku asked curiously. "The stuff that happened with your cousin. Why're you looking at it?"

"Why not?" I asked flippantly. But as soon as I did, I felt the need to explain, despite myself.

"I mean, I've just been invited to New Hope's Peak, and this is a significant portion of the old one's history, and one that's still really unclear. After all, nobody knows what happened in there, let alone who was responsible."

_Though, he does, doesn't he?_ I thought of Eikichi Hanamura, the cousin I had never met. He didn't have much of an online presence, but from what I had been able to find, it was hard to say how affected he had been by whatever he'd been through. He always looked contained and serious in photographs, and he hadn't abandoned the skill behind the title he'd once had. I had also noted that we shared a hair colour, which meant that that particular shade of green was clearly a Hanamura family feature, but that did not really have any relevance to anything.

"Are you scared?" Tasuku asked after a moment of considering this.

"No. But I'm curious."

This made Tasuku grin at me.

"Of _course_ you are."

"What's that meant to mean?" I asked.

"Noooothing."

I gave him a _look_, and he just grinned wider. Shaking my head at him, I returned to reading the different articles that I had turned around.

"Wasn't one of the theories that Hope's Peak itself was responsible, and they were just trying to cover things up with that uncaring act?" He asked after a moment.

"That does seem likely-especially as most so-called 'elite' schools are almost unbelievably protective of their cohorts." I considered. "But I'm not so sure it's quite that simple."

"Perhaps you could some digging and find out?" Tasuku suggested. "After all, this sorta thing is right up your street."

I pursed my lips and let out a breath, re-considering the many things that I had been considering over the past few days. Including my own curiosity. Eventually, I answered:

"I mean, I'm going on the tour."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned that at school, I think. What was it, some sort of exclusive 'first look'? And tomorrow as well."

"Yeah. Read the email if you want."

I clicked back on the tab that had had it open, and passed my laptop over to Tasuku, who read it for a moment, before handing it back.

"Maaan, I wish I could come with you. A first look inside the murder school."

"This is a new building," I corrected. "Besides, the incident took place in what was basically the middle of nowhere."

"Right, right."

"Also, your classes start tomorrow, don't they?"

"Yeeeeah-what about Erica-san? Is she coming with you?"

"She has work all day-has to cover someone else's shift or something." I said, matter-of-fact as I could.

Tasuku nodded at this, extra serious about it. He didn't ask about anyone else coming, and instead idly picked up his game, regarding it, while I went back to reading.

"Is she working late tonight, too?" she eventually asked.

"Mhm."

"Want to come next door for dinner?"

"Nah, there's a meal in the fridge."

"Then I will keep you company-otherwise you'll just sit there all night all sad and lonely, my poor little Nerd."

This made me glance over at him once again and give the dirtiest, most unimpressed look that I could possibly muster, before going back to reading again and pointedly asking:

"Don't you have studying to do?"

"Yeah, but it's all at home anyway."

"Well then, if you really want to, bring it over."

"Fiiiine. I'll be back in a tick. Shall I let myself out?"

"You know how."

Tasuku laughed at that before getting up. I listened to the sounds of him getting up and leaving, and then, I let out a huge sigh, staring at the article I had on the screen-yet another speculating about Hope's Peak role, focusing on Kazuo Tengan in particular as well as how the planned party hadn't been cancelled until the very last moment possible. It was the type of stance that could mean _anything_, but either way it probably wasn't anything good. That didn't stop me from wanting to know more.

And I knew I would, soon enough. Probably. I wasn't going to go all HEY I'M GONNA BE A DETECTIVE, the way that person on the forum had been, but it would be interesting to see if there was anything there that could hint towards what had happened. Closing the tab, I read the next article, and then the next, gathering more information and yet feeling the lack of real information. As I did, though, a part of me wondered what it would be like for Eikichi. How did he feel about all this? How was he reacting to having it all raked up? That in particular was not something that I was likely to find out, but still, a part of me wanted to know that, too.

When I heard Tasuku arrive back again, I sighed, and decided to power down my laptop. More than likely the guy was going to whine through his homework, and I would need to provide vague reassurances as well as reminders to not procrastinate. But I didn't mind. We were friends, after all.

And for a while, it'd take my mind off of tomorrow.

**…**

_Evalynn_

"Alright then. Thanks so much for your time!"

I turned around as Gabe put down the phone, and then typed something on the computer.

"Who was that you were talking to?" I asked, curiously.

"Jun Yamamoto, younger brother of Seiko." He said. "I got the feeling he was set adrift after her death, poor thing. He'd only have been about 14 or 15 when she died."

"Yes, yes, but what did he say?" I said, a little impatiently.

"Well," Gabe said, even and considered. "He was quick to mention that he didn't know much, because Seiko-chan had been very private even with him. But he had met some of her friends, and he did hear a few bits about how some of them had thought they were being followed-which of course corroborates many previous statements. But there was something up that came up that was interesting."

"Oh, what is it?" I asked curiously.

"Apparently she had been working on a new script." Gabe started.

"Okay, and? That's not so surprising, is it?"

"Well, no, but apparently she was collaborating with some other director and it was meant to be all hush-hush because of it. I got the sense that Jun-kun thought that she might not have been fully onboard with that aspect though-as if she was under pressure to keep it secret." Gabe said, frowning now as he recalled this. "But there wasn't any evidence of any new projects either at her dorms, or in her childhood bedroom."

"There's been some efforts by fans to find her 'lost works'" another detective I didn't know piped up. "Didn't some of her camcorders and things go missing too?"

"Yes, he mentioned that too, actually!" Gabe exclaimed. "It was something that Seiko had mentioned to him-she'd thought she'd misplaced a camera. He wasn't too clear on the details and honestly I don't think he knew all that much anyway."

"The question is, how does all of that help us?" I asked.

There was a silence as those in the incident room who had been listening considered this.

"Well, I guess that we'd know that once more information comes in! Like how we managed to narrow down where they were being held based on all the reports of 'unusual activity'." Gabe concluded brightly.

I looked back at the board, where sure enough, that map that we'd poked so many goddamn pushpins into, trying to find a point where they all intersected before either Juro or Gabe (it easily could've been both at the same time) realised that since they formed a circle, perhaps the answer was within the circle. We'd then replaced the pushpins with stickers, though I couldn't remember why that was. The map had been an old one back then, I was honestly surprised it hadn't fallen apart in the intervening years. _Oh well, that's hardly the point. _

The door opened, and I jumped slightly as Superintendent Shizuka Onoe came in. She looked around with her piercing gold eyes, assessing what was going on.

"How have things been going?" She asked.

"We're getting there, Superintendent!" Gabe said. "Would you like a progress report?"

"Just a brief summary will do for now." Shizuka said, nodding.

Eager beaver, I mouthed at Gabe cheekily as he did so, talking about his call with Seiko's brother as well as some other things. A few of the others in the room also chimed in.

"That's good." She said after hearing all this. "I think it is going to be worth chasing down some of the less prominent staff in Hope's Peak, as well as some of the students from other classes, as it is entirely possible that they might have spotted something that 78-B weren't in a position to spot. They may also feel more inclined to talk about it now, even if they hadn't been before."

"Yeah, that makes sense to me. I'm still trying to get ahold of the Principal's kids."

"Alright, but don't spend too much time on that. In the meantime, I'm taking a thirty minute nap now. I've set my alarm. If anything urgent comes up, please feel free to interrupt it."

Just as she turned around, a phone rang. Gabe practically leaped to reach it.

"Hello? Oh, hi there, everything okay? Mhmmm-oh really? No, of course, gimme a moment, okay?"

Putting the phone down on the table, Gabe looked over at Shizuka.

"It's the techs. They think they've cracked the tablet things."

"Electro-IDs." The other detective supplied.

"Yes, those!" Gabe exclaimed. "I need to go assist with the other case over in Sex Crimes, so Evalynn, could you go?"

"Sure I can." I said, already excited.

"I'll accompany you, Detective Dupont-so ignore my previous decision about the nap." Shizuka said unexpectedly.

"O-oh. Right. Alright, sure!" I said after a moment of gormless staring.

"Brilliant!" Gabe picked up the phone again and said. "Okay, Superintendent Onoe and Detective Dupont will be with you in a bit-yeah, no, it's fine! Yeah, I'll tell Biki you said hi! Alright, I have to go now, bye!"

"Well then, we had better set off, hadn't we?" Shizuka told me.

"Oh, um, yes. You lead the way!" I said, making a slight dramatic gesture out into the corridor.

**…**

When we got down there, Shizuka immediately reached into the pockets of her tailored blue jacket, and pulled out a pair of white gloves. Thinking to follow suit, I looked around, and luckily spotted a box of disposable gloves, so I grabbed two of those, and then went over to the table that the tech was waiting for us at.

"Alright, so what do you have?" Shizuka asked crisply before I could drawl the same question.

"Well, it all centers on this little thing."

The tech held a pair of tweezers aloft. In them at the moment appeared to be a small, thin black circle.

"This was found in Kimiko Tsukuda's coffin during her exhumation." He said, pleased with himself. "It corresponds with a small injury that was noticed during the re-examination of her body."

"Okay, and?"

"Well, it's clearly a bug of some sort." The tech said, looking pleased. "So at the very least, Kimiko Tsukuda was being tracked. But of course, without the rest of the kit, it's hard to know why. Or rather, it was. Take a look at this. "

The tech put this down in the center of the table, and picked up two black objects.

"Those are what we assume are the trackers for the bugs-they were attached to the security cameras as well as some lighting, as I'm sure you might recall."

"I do remember, yes." Shizuka said.

For my part, I just nodded, again feeling a little gormless. Yet, at the same time, I knew we were building up to something.

"Well, as it turns out, they act as a sort of receiver as well as a tracker for those tablet things-the Electro-IDs as well. "

A couple of these Electro-IDs, each about the same size as your average tablet, was also on the table. The tech rearranged these on the table, and all of a sudden, the screen flashed into life, showing an outline-drawing style map of something that looked a lot like the floorplans for the ground floor of Shirohata-but not as it had been. Rather, this was how it had looked with all the modifications made. Outside of the map, a red dot pulsated. I stared at it for a moment, and then recognition dawned and I leaned forward.

"Wait, is that the bug right there?"

"That's right, Detective Dupont. To be exact, it's-"

Naturally, the tech then went on to describe what was happening in very meticulous technical detail, all of which was precise and impressive and exactly what we would need for reports later on. For now, though, it completely bent my brain.

"Woah, woah, woah. Japanese, please. Or French or English, whatever."

"I too would like it explained in slightly simpler terms, please. I'm sure my daughter would know exactly what you meant, but unfortunately I am not that technically inclined."

I blinked in surprise at Shizuka mentioning her daughter-she didn't often pad her requests with personal details, unless it was part of her interrogation strategy. But it worked, because where my joke had resulted in a blank look, her request simply made the tech sigh deeply, and try again.

"Essentially, this was tracking created specifically for one particular setting-the school that the kids were trapped in. The bugs can be picked up by a bug detector, but you wouldn't actually be able to use them to track the object or person they were implanted in without the use of these devices-"

Here, the tech gestured to the Electro-IDs and the receiver/tracker things. Shizuka picked up one of the Electro-IDs, and examined it, while I looked at one of the things. Okay, so I didn't understand the techie side, fully, but all the same, my detective brain was whirring, making connections, deductions, things slipping into place. Shizuka's face was as impassive as always, but I'd be surprised if her mind wasn't doing similar.

"Additionally, it looks like that these tablets were finger-print activated, but not obviously so-suffice to say that the explanation is probably a little too specialist for me to condense into layman's term, but ordinarily it's designed so that only particular fingerprints-as detected by the device, allow it to be accessed. Otherwise, it doesn't have any kind of security lock."

"Have you managed to get past that?" Shizuka asked.

"But did you manage to crack that though?" I asked at the same time.

We both looked at each other, and I rubbed the back of my head and laughed awkwardly before listening to what the tech said.

"I got past a layer of it, and there's this menu-here, I'll show you on the other one."

The tech picked up the other Electro-ID, and tapped at it. The map flashed on the screen for a moment, also with the dot outside of it. Another few taps, and a list appeared. He turned it around to show it to us. Like the map, it was white on a dark blue background and read:

_MAIN MENU_

_-PROFILES  
-MAPS  
-RULES  
-TRUTH BULLETS  
-SETTINGS_

"Before you ask, nope, haven't managed to get beyond that yet-well, apart from the settings which is just font and background colour and things like that. But, with that being said, all this is honestly not the most interesting part of all this."

"Oh? What is?" I asked.

Suddenly, the tech looked a little worried.

"What's the matter, Kaegyama-san?" Shizuka asked immediately.

"This technology-not just in isolation, but the way it all works together? These might have been used in 2019, but truthfully-nothing like this actually existed in 2019. If it did, it would have been in extremely early development stages, if even that. More than likely, things like this would have been little more than ideas being thrown around in particular tech companies."

"So, that means whoever made these would have been very advanced in their technological knowledge?" Shizuka asked.

"Or working for such a company?" I asked as well.

"Yes, to both of those."

Shizuka and I exchanged a look.

"I don't suppose you have any knowledge of particular companies that would have been making things like this." She asked.

"No, but I can certainly make inquiries." He replied.

"Good," Shizuka nodded briskly as she put the Electro-ID she was holding back down. "Do that. Thank you for this, Kage-"

"Wait!" I blurted out. "Sorry, Superintendent, but I have one more question."

"Go ahead, Detective."

"So, the bug. You said it was implanted-where?"

"Oh, yes, I don't think I did say-it had, of course, fallen away, but the implication was that it was embedded in a part of Kimiko Tsukuda's ear. Or rather, the side of her head, in a small section directly behind the ear. "

"Behind…her ear?"

My mind whirred even more, and things slotted into place._ Four of them complained their ears hurt-could it really be…..? _ I whipped around to face Shizuka.

"Superintendent Onoe-?"

"Yes, I know."

The grim look on her face told me that my deduction was most likely correct, and without so much as a goodbye to the now bewildered looking tech, we both swept out of the room with a sense of urgency.

At last, things were coming together.

**…**

_Mai_

After Eizo finished his funny awkward-colleague story, we lapsed into another silence in which we all stared at each other. This had been happening fairly often, as we all sized each other up, feeling the way to being together once again. I hadn't taken into account that we'd be total strangers, which had been really silly of me. But encountering Ayuna had allowed me to feel, _feel _so many different things. And perhaps deep down I had imagined that even though we'd been apart, there'd be bonds between us all the same, tying each other together. And hearing that Eizo had managed to have chance encounters with both Ayuna and Azami, along with the knowledge that Friede and I had had something in common, that had made it easier to believe in that.

But of course, being confronted with the reality was different. Even though Eizo was still amusing (though not in the constant, full-on way as before), even though Ayuna had staved off the previous silences of the day either with witty conversation starters of her own, or by ordering more cakes and drinks, the laughter still felt forced, the words somewhat unnatural. And for the most part, we had not been able to reminisce, the way old friends usually would. Not when all the memories lead down one road.

"So..."

I startled, not having expected Azami to have spoken up. She definitely looked well-so, so much better than she had back then-_no thanks to me, _I thought before forcing the thought down. But most of this time, she had been quiet. She had offered up little of her own life story, and she seemed to be looking to Eizo to guidance most of the time. _They've seemed to particularly connect, haven't they? _I remembered that they'd been an 'item' back then, but as far as I could tell they'd been very young about their relationship. I wondered if this time, it would blossom into a proper romance, if perhaps after this they'd be able to build a life together. That would be nice for them, in my opinion.

"So…." Azami swallowed, and tried again. "I'm not fully sure I understand. What happens now. Are we all going to go to the police together?"

"I assumed that would be best, yes." Ayuna nodded.

"Couldn't we just refuse?" Azami asked. "What do the others think, do you know?"

"Yeah, I can't imagine the likes of Hanamura being all 'yeah sure let's do this'." Eizo said. "He was pretty pro-promise."

_Free had been, too, _I recalled. The defining words, _We have to promise….,_summarising all our fears and worries into one, I remembered them in Friede's voice. But, she had been a particularly dear friend, and she was a mother like me. A bereaved mother. I didn't want Ayuna or Eizo lambasting her before she got here.

"_I've been reading the newspapers the officers bring in, and there has been a lot of coverage, you know." Eikichi said. _

_As if to illustrate his point, he held up a newspaper, folded to a page with a headline that screamed '78-B DEATHS-NEW DETAILS REVEALED MAKE THE MYSTERY MURKIER'. Next to it, in a small column, I could just about make out another headline 'WORLD FAMOUS SCHOOL CONTINUES TO EVADE RESPONSIBILITY'. We all looked at it for a moment and . _

"_I didn't realise that the media controlled the police." Takaaki muttered insolently, returning to plating with that puzzle he'd picked up from…well, somewhere. Perhaps it had been from one of those storerooms and he'd had it in his pocket, or maybe it had been with all those gifts and things that seemed to be accumulating since our rescue. _

_I still couldn't believe how much our disappearance had been noticed. _

"_Well, no, they don't." Ayuna said. "But I guess that they're going to be pretty persistent, huh?" _

"_But we still can't tell them anything though, right?" Eizo asked. "You know, like we were saying before and all that?"_

"_Well I'M not talking about it." Takaaki interjected. _

"_I don't want to, either." Friede murmured. I noticed her wrapping her arms around herself, and I tried to smile at her. _

"_Hey, I'm sure it will all be alright," I said. "The police have all been nice, and they just want to find out what happened, so they can punish whoever killed them."_

"_If they found out about what really happened , do you really think they would be nice, Sadie-san?"_

_I gaped at Eikichi's stern expression, for some reason feeling more shaken by it than I had before, even than in the grimmer moments when it had seemed that all our lives were at stake. Feeling my lip tremble, I clamped down on it determinedly, before looking to Azami and taking her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. It was a good thing, probably, that she wasn't really hearing this conversation. _

"_It's bad enough we watched Fumi and those others die, I don't want to have to…describe it." Eizo said shakily. _

"_No, I don't either." Ayuna added. _

_She used a finger to trace the line of the scar that ran up her inner right arm, and for a moment our eyes were distracted by the motion. Remembering how it happened. _

"_They'll keep asking though, won't they?" _

_Takaaki looked up properly this time, his green eyes intense under his fringe-which had become increasingly messier since our rescue. The puzzle fell from his hand, and though he didn't seem to notice it, I scrambled to pick it up. _

"_Yes, Jinsai, that's how investigations work." Eikichi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It is very likely that even if we're allowed to go back to our lives now, they will keep asking, and keep looking for the truth, and then…."_

_He trailed off, sighing in exasperation. He didn't really need to finish off his sentence, though. _

"_Perhaps it's best if we didn't talk about it, then?" I suggested, tentatively as I handed the puzzle to Takaaki and went back to sit down. "I mean, it's already hard to anyway, so…"_

"_Well I mean, that could work, I guess. But that would mean I can't ever talk about Seiko and that's…well, I don't want to do that, and I don't imagine that you all really want to stop talking about them!" Ayuna sounded almost pleading. "They were our friends!"_

"_Ehehe, yeah, that's a point too…" Eizo started, somewhat hesitantly. _

"_No!"_

"_Free?" I asked in concern, looking at her in surprise. _

"_What's up with _you_?" Takaaki asked in surprise. _

"_No," Friede repeated, sitting up straight and unwrapping her arms from around herself to grip the arms of the chair. "No, we have to _promise_."_

"_We have to promise to not talk about it again?" Eikichi asked, incredulity in his voice. _

"_Yeah," Friede nodded. "We have to promise."_

"There are many things that need talking about," Ayuna's voice jerked me back to the present. "and I'm not just going to let everyone brush them under the rug."

I opened my mouth to say something like it, and then I closed it. Brushing things under the rug was more or less what I had done, all these years. Brushed it all under the rug, and then built my life on top of it. How could I rebuke her, even though she was weakening those foundations? Absently, I checked the time, imagining what I would have been doing were this an ordinary day. I hoped that soon, it would be an ordinary day again.

Suddenly, a phone ringtone blared out, and we all startled slightly. Ayuna took out her phone, and looked at it.

"Looks like I have a message from Hanamura-" she tapped at her phone to unlock it and read it, then started to tap a reply as she spoke. "Looks like he and his fiancée are a little ahead of schedule, they should be here soon."

"Niiice, that only leaves Jinsai and Heiwa!" Eizo said, grinning widely for a moment, before something seemed to occur to him and the enthusiasm dimmed. Azami scrutinised him, and noticing her gaze, Eizo gave her a dazzlingly reassuring smile.

Ayuna put her phone away once her reply had been sent, and put it back in her pocket, and once again, there was a silence in which we all regarded each other. I recalled long-distant silly conversations, makeshift karaoke in the minivan on the trip, splashing in puddles and watching fireworks and getting ready for the school festival and other things. Memories that all led down one road, in the end.

"_Jinsai-kun? What are you doing in there?"_

_Friede and I peered into the small alcove under the stairwell, where Takaaki was sitting apparently…upside down? I scratched my head in confusion. _

"_Isn't that uncomfortable?" I followed up, when there was no answer. _

"_Should it be uncomfortable?" came the response, somewhat bitingly. _

"_I…erm….if you're comfortable, then…?"_

_Takaaki gave a big sigh, then sat up the correct way around, and opened his eyes, though he did nothing to brush off the layer of dust that seemed to have accumulated all over him since lunch time-assuming he had been here that long, that was. _

"_Did you know this is one of the few places that isn't in view of the cameras?"_

"_Is it really?" Friede asked in interest. Instantly, she turned around and looked around her. I just looked between her and Takaaki in mild confusion. Eventually, she turned, smiling, blue eyes gleaming. _

"_As far as I can tell, he is right!" she said. _

"_Oh…well….it's like the storerooms, isn't it?" I said after a moment. "After all that was why we didn't have any footage of what happened with Kiran-kun."_

"_Ah yes, Nanakai. That is what I was thinking of, actually." Takaaki said glibly. _

_Both Friede and I stared, waiting for him to elaborate, if he decided to. And sure enough, he did. _

"_If you think about it, he was kind of lucky."_

"_Lucky?" Friede asked, tone becoming clipped. "In what sense could being bashed over the head be called lucky?"_

"_In what sense could being impaled repeatedly then suffocated in a coffin, amongst other things, be considered lucky? Or being squashed to death?" Takaaki retorted. "However, in all seriousness, that would actually be the answer. Nanakai never had to experience that, did he? He hasn't had to see everyone die."_

"_I…that's…that's a grim way of putting it." I said after a moment. _

_Takaaki simply stared at the two of us, as if he had been expecting a different answer. _

Feeling my bag vibrate, I scrambled for my own phone, and fished it out. Juro's name flashed on the screen-as a normal call, rather than video. But all the same, I felt my heart go in my throat.

"Sadi-I mean, Mai, you okay there?" Eizo asked.

"Yeah, just….let me get out-" as Azami got up to let me stand, I answered the call. "Juro?"

"Mai, my love, where are you now?"

Though I knew Juro was trying to be reassuring, I could still detect the note of urgency in his voice and almost immediately I felt myself begin to tremble.

"I'm in The Nonoka Café-why, Juro? Has something happened? Akio? Sachi?"

"They're fine, the kids are fine. But Mai, you remember the Towa Private Hospital, yes?"

Even though I didn't want to, I most certainly did. It was the hospital we'd been flown to immediately after rescue.

"I..yes, but why, Juro?"

"Nonoka Café, she said, that isn't too far." I heard Juro say to someone on his side, before he then returned to addressing me. "Mai, can you try and get to the hospital as soon as possible? I can't tell you why over the phone, but you need to come. And if you can reach the other survivors to tell them, that would be good too."

"I, but…" I looked to Eizo, Azami and Ayuna, who were all watching me. "Juro, why?"

"I wish I could tell you now, Mai, but it's really, really important that you come over. It's to do with the case-there's been an important breakthrough but…well, it'll be easier to explain once you are there. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No, that's okay. I…" I took a shaky breath. "We'll come together. We'll be there soon."

"Okay, Mai. You just get yourself here as soon as you can. I'll be waiting for you at the reception, along with Evalynn."

"Okay…S-see you then."

I hung up, stared at my phone for a moment.

"Mai?"

I looked up, and gulped. How was I going to explain this? Even I didn't understand. _Towa Private Hospital?_

"I…I think you might need to tell Hanamura-kun that the plans have changed."

* * *

**Characters introduced this chapter:**

**Survivors**

**Friede Anabuki (nee Benbow), former SHSL Interpreter (created by: PainX65)  
Takaaki Jinsai, former SHSL Philosopher (created by: Shirasaur)**

**Investigators**

**Shizuka Onoe, Police Superintendent (created by: Lupus Overkill)**

**Prospectives**

**Ritsuka Nishimiya, SHSL Hacker (created by: arans)**

**HI I DID NOT EXPECT TO INTRO THIS MANY CHARACTERS THIS CHAPTER. But, it happened anyway. But anyway, since I've basically neglected ASIB now, for a while I will work on that more. I'm gonna explain things more in a status update for both fics on my profile, but yeah. Anyway, as always, hope you enjoyed, and leave feedback if you can :)**


	11. The Trackers

_Otsuka_

I still felt satisfied as I got off my bus and continued on my way home. It had turned out that Rieka was not all talk, which was….well, useful for me, but for some reason felt a little bit of a let-down. Though, I still found her irritating. Her bedroom did look good from an objective standpoint, but was just so unnecessarily girly and fussy. How on earth did she even ever get anything done? But clearly, she had, because she'd capitalised on her uncle having been in the force. And she had managed to get two children of survivors onside for her little investigating crew. If I could talk to them…but of course, I would be. I'd have to think about how best to approach that, actually. Beyond what was available publicly about both of them-like Akagi Anabuki's recent appearance on the 'Akemi Tries It' and the animations Akio Arisato posted from time to time, there was little there. I was honestly surprised that those so-called newspapers, the tabloids, had not latched onto the fact of their parentages, but I supposed it would come out sooner or later. Until then, though, the fact I would get to meet them was just one of many trump cards I now had.

My mind went through all the information that Rieka had shown me, trying to fit it to all I knew. It had been a shame that she hadn't let me take any of the items home, especially when I knew a lot more about keeping important evidence secret than she possibly ever could-slotting it all together, but I had taken notes, so it did not matter so much. But, at the same time, it showed there was so much going on. Whoever had done this, they had to be extremely, extremely powerful, able to pull off things on a grand scale, but also be able to bury them, whether through influence or money or both. Possibly even fear. And more than likely, they had done something similar before. In all truth I was vaguely sceptical about Tetsuji Kamiya's claims-despite his past job, to me he sounded more grieving parent than investigator-but the basis of them was plausible. Nobody manages to renovate an entire school (even one that has been abandoned for a couple of decades),fit it up with elaborate camera systems and security systems that included illegally obtained guns, kidnap 20 students, kill 13 of them in elaborate ways, and not get caught in the process if they are doing that for the very first time.

_And there are a lot of powerful people in this case, aren't there? _Most of the senior staff at Hope's Peak, for example. Unfortunately, the intervening 20 years had killed off or struck them with illness, but there were associates of those people, too. And even the students-not the ones who'd been kidnapped necessarily, but students in general, and former students. Perhaps Kyosuke Munakata's motives in reopening were not so pure? That, too, I reflected as I turned a corner and headed down the crowded street, would be something I'd be able to try and figure out tomorrow. Either way, I would be interviewing him.

I planned and plotted and theorised in my head as I kept going. I was not heading to the place I usually called home, with my parents and my older sister, but to my 'crash pad', an old flat my dad had used to live in back when he was starting out in journalism, and that he'd gifted to me once I started out. It'd proved useful for those particularly gritty investigations, the ones that pull you in and 100% demand your attention. Especially because me and dad did not see eye to eye when it came to investigations. I hadn't been there for a while, but I just knew that this investigation was going to be another one that needed my full attention. Hence, I was heading there, my mind already buzzing. _This is exciting, so, so, exciting. _

I tapped impatiently as I got to the crossing, waiting for the lights to change, and then as soon as it was green, I strode across, only barely avoiding bumping into people, and only trying to do that as I didn't feel like arguing with people and wasting time when I could be in my crash pad and doing things. Indeed, as soon as I was on pavement again, I didn't stop, and I would have just kept going if all of a sudden, something in my peripheral vision made me slow down and look around me. It took me a moment or two, but then I realised what I had seen. I was across the road from Towa Private Hospital, a medium sized hospital that had a good reputation. Though there were some people leaving through the main entrance, I saw that a small cluster of people were waiting off to the side, looking grim and looking out for something or someone. One of them was a woman with greying blue hair gathered into a pinned up ponytail, and I recognised from press conferences and other research as being Shizuka Onoe, the superintendent of Towa Central station.

_A hospital? What on earth…._I watched as a police car drew up, and some uniformed officers came out, and she went over to instruct them. At the same time, another car drew up, and about five adults came out. Shizuka Onoe noticed them, and said something to them before directing them to the cluster of people (who were, now I was paying more attention to them, most likely detectives). Quite promptly, the detectives ushered these people off to one of the side entrance, while the uniforms were taken through the main entrance.

_Was that….those were some of the survivors, but why? _I knew they had spent time in Towa Private Hospital after their rescue, for a number of reasons. But that had just been a holding bay, essentially. So what was the purpose in bringing them back? I frowned, considering my options. I needed to find out what was happening, but of course, it was not going to be easy to get in there. I might have told Rieka that rivalry between the police and journalists was just a cliché, but to be honest, in this situation they would see me as an obstacle. I looked up and down the street, and spotted a café a couple of blocks away from the hospital, on the same side of the street as it. If I could sit at one of the window seats, then maybe…..

Decision made, I pushed past to the next crossing, and once again impatiently tapped my feet until it turned green, before almost running to get to the café. I let myself be greeted by a perky waitress, but couldn't get rid of her fast enough as I was thankfully seated in a booth near the window that I wanted. I took out my laptop, and my notebook, both for the façade and because I could at least get on with something while doing this.

And then, I waited.

**…**

_Eizo_

I barely had time to take in my surroundings as we were all bustled through corridors, but all the same, I was able to faintly recognise them. They'd been updated with a lick of paint and new light fittings that made them look sleek and modern, but I remembered being hustled along these corridors all these years ago, wide-eyed and tired and confused, police both leading the way and bringing up the rear.

"Are we going to the same room you questioned us in before?" Eikichi asked, breaking the foot-step punctuated silence we had ended up in.

"Actually, no. That visitors' room has been converted into another physiotherapy room. This room is a new one-though you wouldn't know it from the appearance." Detective Dupont said.

"All the same, it will fit our purposes." Superintendent Onoe interjected. "Ah, here we are."

We stopped in front of a brown door, which almost instantly opened to reveal Detective Kurosawa, along with some white-coated people, whom I assumed were doctors of some sort. Though, why would there be doctors here?

As I asked myself this question, dread sliced through my belly, but I tried to clamp down on it as we were ushered in, and we took seats. I made sure to sit next to Azami, but Ayuna's chosen seat was a couple of chairs away, Mai a few more chairs still, and Eikichi along the other wall. I gave Eikichi in particular a look at this-was he trying to make a point about how we should have remained separate? Either way, his icy stare didn't react.

"Are you going to tell us what's going on now?" Ayuna demanded.

"Yes, we will be. Do you know if Takaaki Jinsai and Friede Anabuki will be arriving soon? I understand that you've organised this meet-up of yours."

"Later on today, and then tomorrow morning," Ayuna said, getting out her phone. "But, I can message them to inform them of the situation."

"Yes, well…" Detective Kurosawa laughed nervously. "I think it will be better to wait until they're here, it's really the sort of news that you need to hear in person."

"But it was urgent enough that you've already summoned us here." Eikichi spoke up, sounding surly.

"And they're going to find out, sooner or later." Ayuna said, phone still poised in her hands.

"…I agree." Eikichi added with a slight note of reluctance.

The detectives in the room looked at each other, and eventually Superintendent Onoe gave a nod.

"Very well then." She said briskly. "I suppose we should get to the point. Detective Matsu?"

"Ah," Detective Matsu stepped forward, and cleared his throat. "As part of our investigation, we did a exhumation to re-examine one of your friends."

"Who?" Mai asked, cautiously.

"Tsukuda, of course." I answered, almost without thinking. "Didn't she used to say, she would want to know that if she died, one day she'd want to be a skeleton?"

The room fell into silence as we all turned that memory over in our heads.

"I remember that." Mai murmured, softly.

"Mhm…." Ayuna said.

"Anyway," Detective Matsu continued. "To put it simply, we found a tracking bug on her. It appeared to have been implanted in her skull, very near to her ear."

Another silence, but this one baffled. Azami looked at me in confusion, and I shrugged. Eikichi was sitting up, frowning deeply, while Mai and Ayuna both seemed baffled as well, though the latter still concentrated on typing this out.

"As a result, we've got good reason to think that you all might have tracking chips implanted in you, as well."

"We _what?"_

Ayuna looked up at this, her orange eyes flashing. Eikichi looked similarly angry. As for me, I was not sure how to react. A tracker, in me? That didn't seem possible, yet perhaps, thinking about it, could this have accounted for all the security barriers that had bleeped even though I had taken off everything metal to go through them? And…..

"_Heyyy, Yuki-chi, what're you crying for?!" Katsuya asked teasingly. _

_Yuki just whimpered and continued to cling to Yuri, who patted his back consolingly. _

"_He's saying his ear hurts, but apart from it looking red, I can't see anything wrong." Yuri said in a low whisper. "It's okay, Yuki, don't worry, we'll find something to make it better."_

"_Oh, that's funny!" Kiran exclaimed. "Mine is hurting a little, and Teiichi-kun said that it looked a little red."_

"_Yes, that's right." The soft-spoken boy agreed. "Mine, too. Well, hasn't got red, but it does feel…."_

"_Well that's strange, isn't it?" Sen'ya said. "We've all ended up in this weird place, whatever the hell it is, and now a bunch of us have had something done to our ears!"_

"_Done to?" I asked. "Mate, that's a bit sinister! Couldn't it be something like, I dunno, just a bug bite?"_

"_This whole situation is sinister!" Sen'ya retorted. _

Slowly, I put a hand to my ear. Honestly, once everything had started, the question of hurting ears had quickly been forgotten, as there had been a lot more at stake. But now…

"Can you get it out?" Eikichi wanted to know. He was also holding his ear.

"That's exactly what we've gathered you here to do. From an investigative standpoint, it will be better to have them removed, as we can then determine precisely how they worked and if they were active during the last 20 years. Naturally, we'll have to question you about them."

"Question us! About these, when we didn't even know that was what was going on?!" Ayuna exclaimed.

"Yes," Shizuka said shortly. "It is possible that there will be things you didn't realise were significant that you will remember now."

"That's right!" Detective Matsu jumped in.

He flashed us reassuring smiles, and almost automatically, I smiled back.

. "But you don't need to worry about that, for now the first port of call is to work out where exactly they are in you so we can get them out. The lovely doctors here will explain the procedure…"

**…**

Things after that went by pretty quickly. There was some official paperwork to be signed, but all the police said the main admin could be sorted out afterwards, that this was just to start things off. We were all scanned, and then told what would need to happen for the chips to be removed-a simple procedure, only requiring local anaesthetics, though Ayuna's and Eikichi's would take longer, apparently, because theirs were against their skull, like Kimiko's had been, whereas mine, Azami's and Mai's were all in our ears. I wasn't sure how that made things difficult or easy, but I figured as long as we could get them out, it didn't matter. The facts of the situation were starting to sink in, and all I could wonder was-had we been watched, all this time? Had the friends I'd made over the past 20 years, my workers, my family, had they all been in danger? The most I knew, nothing in particular had happened-and anything that might have hadn't been explicitly connected to me. But even so.

Soon after that was all sorted out, Mai was escorted down to an operating theatre. I looked over at Azami, who was sitting very still, hands folded in her lap. Ayuna and Eikichi were bickering about…something. It almost reminded me of old times, as in before back then, and I would have smiled if not for the situation.

"Hey, Azami? Are you alright?"

She blinked, as if coming out of a dream, and looked at me.

"I…I don't know."

"I could come and sit with you, if you want? You'll be next, right?"

"I…" Azami thought about this, then shook her head. "No, it's fine. I can do this."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Azami hesitated, but then nodded firmly. At that moment, a doctor and a detective came, and called her name. She got up, nervously smoothing down her clothes, and then looked at me. I gave her a nod and a smile, and then she turned and walked away. Just as she was out of sight, another doctor and Detective Matsu came for me.

"It's my turn now, is it?" I asked, trying to be cheery. "Well then, let's get it over with."

As I left, it occurred to me that I hadn't yet managed to explain to the others that I was helping New Hope's Peak. _Oh well, _I thought with some resignation, _There's always later. And at least I've told Azami…_

**…**

_Mai_

"_What the hell is that?" Sen'ya asked as Yuri and Seiko pulled the curtains back and we could finally see what was behind it. _

_He was echoing what we were all thinking. Best we could see, there were all sorts of contraptions, apparently operated by levers and buttons which seemed to be dotted everywhere. In the middle, however, there was an empty space-empty, apart from restraining straps of some sort. _

"_It looks a bit like a dance studio, no?" Lilian spoke up. "Sadie-san, you must agree."_

"_W-well, the middle, sure, but I'm not sure about the rest of it….Lilian-chan, you've never seen anything like this, have you?"_

"_No, no, I haven't. " Lilian agreed with a nod, dark purple-blue eyes solemn. She absently fiddled with the gold-edged blue bow in her hair as we all waited. _

"_This is clearly not your average dance floor, I can tell. Not even the Butterfly Collective uses such…convoluted technology." She added absently into the silence, though it was clear she was more thinking aloud. _

"_So, what exactly is supposed to happen now?" Fumiaki asked, frowning slightly. _

"_Well now, someone needs to get our blackened in there first, and then maybe I will tell you, Upupu!" the bear spoke up. _

_I jumped. I still could not wrap my head around the fact that we were apparently here because of this bear. Even if it was controlled by someone else, as the more logical explanations would suggest. I took a breath, and gave a shaky smile to Akari and Azami. Azami was the only one to try and smile back, though Akari did nod as she stayed close to her sister. _

"_I-I need to go in there?!" Katsuya asked, tremulously. "Why?"_

"_Oooooh, oooh, can I try?" Yuki said eagerly, bouncing on the heels of his white and purple sneakers. "It looks like a puzzle! I bet I could beat it! Yuuuri, do you think I can beat it?!"_

"_No, no Yuki!" Yuri said hurriedly, leaving the curtains and going over to her brother, gripping his arm firmly to prevent him from going off. "I don't think that's a good idea."_

_Yuki whined at this, but Yuri, as always, was gentle but firm with him. She eventually managed to distract him with things he was carrying in his backpack. _

"_Yeeeah, I wouldn't recommend it, looks like some random medieval torture set up to me." Eizo said, laughing awkwardly. "I'm not even sure I'm _joking _about that."_

"_Why, Komiya-kun? Weren't you listening! This is your punishment! Now, get in there! And someone help him!"_

"_How do you mean, help him?" Kimiko demanded. _

"_Weeeellll, do you brats really think he's gonna restrain himself properly if he does it himself? He's the blackened, he killed your classmate! Don't you want to see justice done?" _

Killed my classmate._ Looking at Katsuya, our dopey, cheerful, friendly male Class Representative who always had a smile on his face, it was still hard to believe he had killed sweet, sweet Kiran. Yet, he had. We'd examined all the evidence, just as we had been asked, even though we weren't detectives, and found him guilty…and the tears spilling from his purple eyes and blurring his glasses were proof of his remorse about it. We all looked around at each other, uncertain. Even Moeka, who had stepped forward to place a consoling hand on Katsuya's shoulder, bit her lip and hesitated. _

"_What is going to happen, once he's in there?" Ayuna asked. _

"_Yes, what will happen?"_

"_Oh my gosh, kids these days!" the bear held his paws up in exasperation. "Do none of you listen to your elders? You know what will happen! He's blackened, he must be punished-and all punishments are executions."_

"_Wait, you're going to kill him in there?!" Sen'ya exclaimed. "What the fuck?"_

"_Ohhh, I'm not!" _

"…_.what?" a few of us asked. _

_And with that, I could have sworn that the bear's grin, though fixed, grew even bigger and sharper. _

Tentatively, I stepped closer to the chair, staring at it for a moment. I took a breath, and looked to Evalynn.

"Can I have Juro? I want Juro here."

"Oh, yeah, sure. I'll get him, we'll swap. Give it a mo, okay? Don't start anything until Detective Arisato is here, alright?"

"Understood," the doctor said.

Evalynn left, and I took another breath, sitting down in the chair. I started to feel the panic coming on as I settled myself, trying to gain some semblance of comfort, and I took a few deep breaths, in and out, in and out.

"Now, we'll need to restrain your head for the procedure, as well as apply a local anaesthetic to the area. Nurse, can you come and-"

"_Does that hurt?" I asked, as I fixed the strap around Fumiaki's wrist, my hands trembling violently. _

_Fumiaki shook his head as he leaned back slightly into the chair. _

"_It doesn't really matter. What comes next will hurt more." _

"_I…I'm sure…"_

"_Too right it will!" a certain animatronic voice called out from behind us. "Now hurry things up or I might have to start getting trigger happy!"_

I shook my head, rearing back violently. The doctor and the nurse gave me an odd look.

"Are you alright, Arisato-san?" the nurse asked with some concern.

All I could do was shake my head.

"I'm sure this is a scary situation for you, but let's get you settled until the detective gets here…is that detective your husband?"

I managed to nod at this, but I resisted the nurse's efforts to ease me into leaning back into the chair. I wriggled away from her grasp, and stood again, wrapping my arms around myself, staring.

"_Nooooo, I don't want to! I didn't do…I didn't do anything, I didn't mean to…"_

_Yuki sobbed and sobbed, as Eikichi and Ayuna tried to get him moving. He clung to his stand, and to his toy too, tears trickling and dripping onto his colourful clothes. His nose ran too, but he didn't try to wipe it. _

"_I don't want to dieeee." _

"_Oh, so now you believe it's real, you imbecile?" the bear snickered in the background. "Bit late for that, mate!"_

"_It's going to be easier if you cooperate," Eikichi said. "Otherwise we're all going to die."_

"_I don't want to die, I don't want to….." Yuki sniffled. _

"_Please, Yuki," Ayuna said. "We don't want you to die, either, but….."_

_All our gazes drifted to the guns that were dotted around what we had come to consider the 'punishment bay'. In particular, we looked at the bullet holes left in the ground from when Ayuna had tried, against all odds, to rescue Seiko. Even though it was irrefutable, what he had done to Teiichi, we didn't want him to die._

_But we had no choice. _

All of a sudden, Juro was there, his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes.

"Mai, what's wrong, my love?"

"I…." I sniffed, surprised to feel a sudden wetness in my eyes. "I…I….I can't, I can't."

"It's okay, you won't feel anything. I'll be with you the whole time."

Juro attempted to manoeuvre me back to the seat, and because it was Juro, I let him. But the moment I was seated again, more of the memories came back, flooding my brain. It wasn't me, it had never been me, but every time I saw one of them, it felt like it was happening to me.

And really, if not for twists of fate, it was entirely probable that it could have…

"Mai, it's okay, it's okay…"

"What's going on? Does your wife have a phobia of hospitals?"

"We need help over here!"

Everything washed over me, in a horrifying swirl. Memories, the noise, the screams. Everything. _I can't do this, I can't do this, I don't want to do this…_

And then, mercifully, it all went black.

**…**

_Juro_

In hindsight, I should have seen this coming.

I stared down at Mai, sleeping now, but not looking peaceful. Her hair was still ruffled and messy, some strands sticking sweatily to her face, and her expression was frightened. Still, she was asleep now, sedated, and the bandage on her ear proof of the fact the tracker was out. And certainly even less able to give a clue as to what had been going on inside her head, to upset her so spectacularly.

But still, in hindsight, I should have seen this coming.

She never had been good with hospitals, or even any medical procedure that required restraint, whether that was actual ones, or just someone leaning over her. We'd gone with phobia-friendly dentists and opticians because of it, we'd quickly worked out that it was easier when she didn't have to be awake for the procedure, so she opted for general anaesthetic, such as early on in our marriage, when she'd had to have a wisdom tooth removed. The only exceptions I could think of were the births of our children-but in all fairness she was preoccupied then.

I had asked her once, if she'd always been afraid, and she'd answered 'not before'. Before, of course, meaning before she and her friends had been held hostage. But that had been enough knowledge for me-it had just been curiosity that had led me to ask. All I needed was to support her. To protect her.

_But whatever I've been doing hasn't been enough, has it? _

Whatever it was that Mai thought of to cause such a panic was something I didn't know about, as husband or as a detective. And the size of the reaction…I knew enough for it to know that this meant something significant was behind it all. The key to unlocking the mystery? Either way, it meant something. But what could I do with that information? Mai didn't want the past leaking into our everyday lives, and I didn't either. I didn't want it to affect our children any more than she did, and yet I wondered, the way this was going, in the end, they would be, wouldn't they? Especially if I was to bring this to everyone's attention.

And yet, there was the truth, and justice to consider. I wanted this to go away, but I wanted it solved, too.

_What do I do now?_ I asked myself, as I carefully smoothed down her hair, and then held her hand. _What do I do?_

I sensed the presence of someone behind me, and I looked up to see Evalynn peering around the door.

"I heard Mai had a hard time of it." She said, simply.

I hesitated, not knowing what to say.

"The Superintendent already knows-the doctors told her." She continued. "Nobu's trying to see if he can come up with possible analyses."

"Was it necessary to?" I asked.

"A clue's a clue, Juro, you know that." Evalynn huffed, hands on hips, before falling silent to assess us for a moment.

"But still…it's fairly tenuous, no?" I said, undermining the arguments I had been making to myself. "It could be for any reason. Any reason at all. "

"Juro."

Naturally, Evalynn was taking no BS from me-we had been partners for far too long. I sighed helplessly, and Evalynn softened.

"Look, think of it this way-if we're all thinking it, then you don't need to feel like a snitch or whatever it is you're thinking you are. All of which would be crap by the way. But anyway, you're needed now. We've got trackers to see in action."

I sighed again, and reluctantly I got up. I bent to kiss Mai on the forehead, and then left her to sleep it off.

* * *

**Characters introduced this chapter:**

**Victims**

**Lilian Lao, former SHSL Chinese Ribbon Dancer (my OC)  
Takayuki 'Yuki' Fujimoto, former SHSL Toymaker (created by: Abitat Eco)**


	12. Turning Point

_Akio_

As we tidied up our snacks, I looked around at the birds in the trees. It was hard to believe that we were sitting in a park in Towa City, rather than some zoo, or a jungle in some far-flung exotic country. But more than that, it was hard to believe that once upon a time, this place had been something completely different.

"I mean," I said to Akemi as I tried to verbalise this. "I did know that there used to be a school here, but I thought it was just some old place that closed down, because old schools do that sometimes, don't they?"

Akemi nodded thoughtfully.

"I knew about it, already, but not for a long time, to be fair." She looked up into the trees thoughtfully. "When I was little though…."

Akemi trailed off, her pretty eyes taking on a far-away look, and then she shook her head.

"No, it doesn't matter."

But the way she said that, so wistfully, sounded like it _did_.

I tried to say something, but before I could, Akemi turned to smile beatifically as she stood up, gathering the litter and swiftly running it over to put in a bin. Then, as she came back, and I stood up and put back on my school blazer and my school bag, she re-tied her long hair back into its recognisable ponytail, somehow managing to make it look as if she had combed it properly, rather than just haphazardly gathering it with her hands as she had done. As if she was putting a face on, to go back into the world. Or at least, that was how I saw it. I wondered if anyone else did.

"Are you ready, Arisato-kun?" she asked me.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go."

We left the park in silence, but it felt almost companionable. Not quite the full companionability of friendship, but getting there. Though, Akemi seemed a little tense, looking around her at the different people, particularly if they happened to glance our way. But nothing particularly happened. When we got to the gate, we stopped, and looked at each other.

"Well," I said, a little bashful. "I guess I will see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, yes. Are you still alright with meeting inside, rather than outside?" Akemi asked with a hint of apology.

"Sure, I told you, it isn't a problem! We're meeting everyone else inside anyway, right?"

"Yes, that's true. That will be exciting, won't it?"

"It will. Anyway, see ya!"

"Goodbye."

She gave a polite little wave and headed on her way, and for some reason, I watched a little more, before heading and turning home. Sachi would probably be home by now, and if Mum wasn't at home yet, I'd have to keep her occupied. Hopefully she wouldn't ask too many questions about where Mum was. Mostly because I wasn't entirely sure. All I really knew was that she'd taken some days off from the dance school so she could be involved with the investigation.

_I hope Mum will be alright…_I thought to myself as I continued my walk. _And Dad, for that matter. _I had wondered, for a moment, if Dad had known about Mum's past, but that was stupid thinking. Of course he had. I was the one who hadn't known. I probably never would have-

My phone rang in my pocket, interrupting my train of thought.

I quickly stepped into the doorway of a shop that was already closed, and fished my phone out of my bag. The screen flashed 'Dad', so I answered it.

"Dad."

"Akio, are you at home yet?"

"No, I was with a friend, I'm about to go home. Don't worry, Sachi won't be home alone for long."

"Ah, about that-"

Dad hesitated for a moment, and all of a sudden, worry bloomed in my chest.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Something has come up with the investigation, so we won't be home tonight. I'll explain it to you in person as soon as I can, but it involves hospital checks."

"Hospital-" Mum never really liked hospitals, I remembered. "So what's going to happen? What should I tell Sachi?"

"About that. I don't want you to have to bear the responsibility of looking after your little sister overnight, Akio, that's not your job. I've arranged for her to stay with Nobu-that's Detective Kurosawa's-wife and little girl, who'll be going to Sachi's school after the summer, as it happens. But anyway, all you need to do is explain that we're busy and can't come home, so she's going to stay with them for a little while."

"A little while? What about me?"

"Well, I'm not too sure how things are going to pan out, but you'll be fine in the house yourself, won't you, Akio?"

"I mean, yeah…." I said cautiously.

"If it turns out that we can't come home for longer, for whatever reason, then we can see about you also staying with the Kurosawas, or possibly with one of your school friends."

"I….but Mum's okay?" was all I could think to ask. "There's nothing…nothing bad has happened?"

"No, no. You don't worry, Akio, okay? Just get Sachi over there, and then you concentrate on yourself. Are you still doing the tour?"

"Yeah. Is that…is that okay though?"

I heard my dad let out a breath.

"Yes, it should be fine. Don't worry about things, Akio. Give me a text when Sachi is there and you're back home, alright. Do you know where Detective Kurosawa lives?"

"Yeah, I do. Don't worry, Dad, I'll take care of things."

"Alright then. Tell Sachi Mummy and Daddy are sending her big hugs and kisses, and take care."

"Same with you, Dad. Bye."

Dad hung up, and I stared at my phone for a long, long moment. Then, I put it back in my bag, and rushed the rest of the way home.

**…**

"Sachi?" I called as I opened the door. "I'm home!"

"NII-CHAN!"

I heard Sachi hurtle down the stairs as I locked the door and took off my shoes. She flung herself at me and clung. I noticed that her hair was a mess and she was holding onto a doll of some sort.

"Where's Mummy?" she asked.

"Mummy's busy, and so is Daddy." I said. _Well, at least it's half-true. _"But it's alright, because you're going to go on a little adventure."

"An adventure?!" Sachi squealed, letting go of me and revealing she had paint all over her.

"Yes, but first, you need to get yourself cleaned up! Adventurers can't be messy now, can they?"

"Yeah! But where are we going, Nii-chan?"

As I bundled Sachi upstairs, and got her to clean herself up while I packed a bag for her-a few days, since I wasn't sure how long Dad wanted her there for-I did my best to explain it to her, and make it sound as adventurous as possible. My efforts felt a bit flat to me, but Sachi seemed to buy into it readily enough. More than likely it was just the word 'adventure' and the prospect of meeting a new friend.

Once we were all ready-and we'd had no more than two cookies each (I managed that by telling her that there'd be more cookies there, though I wasn't sure if that was the case at all)-we set off.

"Nii-chan, you don't have a bag?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

I gave Sachi the biggest smile that I could muster.

"Why, I'm going on an adventure of my own."

**…**

I had lied slightly when I had told Dad I knew where the Kurosawa house was-I actually had to look it up on Maps. But eventually, I managed to find it, and I rang the bell, and stepped back to wait. A few moments later, the door opened and the woman I knew to be Kanon Kurosawa smiled out at us.

"Oh, Akio-kun, Sachi-chan, We've been expecting you! Haven't we, Naomi?"

At this, a small face framed by white curls appeared, and wide red eyes stared out at me and Sachi. Little hands clung to Kanon's jeans as she stared at us warily. I gave a smile that I hoped was reassuring. Sachi, however, beamed at the sight and bounded forward.

"Hi! Are you going to be my new friend?! I'm Sachi! What's your name?"

"Her name is Naomi, and she doesn't really talk." Kanon said. "But I am sure you will be amazing friends."

"You don't talk? Really?!" Sachi exclaimed.

Little Naomi blushed, and shrunk slightly further behind Kanon, who put a reassuring hand on her shoulder without looking.

"Yes, really. But Naomi has a notebook she uses, and she can write what she wants to say, isn't that right?" Kanon said cheerily.

Naomi nodded at that, and Sachi was wide-eyed for a moment before her expression changed to one that was clearly meant to indicate Deep Thinking. This lasted a few seconds, then she grinned.

"Well, it's okay if you don't talk, I talk loads, don't I, Nii-chan?"

"You're right." I said, trying and not quite succeeding in stifling a smile.

Meanwhile, Naomi had eased away from behind Kanon, and was writing in a small notebook. After a few moments, she held it out and stared. Sachi stared back.

"Look, Naomi-chan's written something for you." I said encouragingly.

"I'm not so good at reading though…." Sachi bit her lip worriedly. "But…I can try."

She took the notebook, and frowned at the small, extremely careful writing. I waited, ready to swoop in and read it for her, but gradually, she sounded it out.

"I….I li…like your….hai…hair….hairc…hairclips! Oh! I like your hairclips!"

Sachi beamed at this, completely forgetting her earlier worry and touching her hairclips-which today were little white rabbits holding carrots. Then, she pointed at Naomi's star hairclips.

"I like yours, too! I have more hairclips, if you want to see them!"

Naomi blushed a little, but nodded, and she beckoned Sachi, who eagerly followed, before turning back.

"Wait!"

She launched herself at me, and squeezed me in another extremely tight hug. I returned it, and then watched the two little girls disappear into the house. Kanon, too, watched them, her eyes looking somewhat misty as she did. Then, she looked back at me.

"That bodes well, doesn't it?"

"Mhm." I agreed.

"What's happening with you, Akio-kun? When Nobu called me, he didn't mention anything about you."

"For tonight, I'm home alone, but if anything else happens, I'll go to a school friend's." I said.

"Oh, are you sure you don't want to stay with us. Only thing is that Nobu would have to stay on the sofa, but I'm sure he won't mind."

"No, it's fine!" I said hurriedly. "Really, it's not a problem. I'll be fine. Just, with Sachi, you know-"

"Don't worry, I know already. And I've had kids like her in my classes before. Besides, she and Naomi are clearly going to be good friends, as you saw. It'll be fine."

I nodded.

"Well, um, I suppose I should go then. "

"If you're sure. But if you do need anything, call or ring, okay? Or just come straight around. I mean it, it's fine."

"I…thanks. Bye then, Kurosawa-san."

"Goodbye!"

The door closed, and I trudged my way home almost mechanically. I opened my door, stepped inside, locked it, took my shoes off.

"I'm home!" I called, once again.

Despite knowing the futility, I waited a beat, but there was no response. They really were away. _Something bad really has happened, hasn't it?_ My legs felt wobbly, and all of a sudden, I sat-almost collapsing-right there, in the doorway next to the shoes. I had no idea what had happened, and I knew I wouldn't be able to ask Mum or Dad. And I was sure they would have told anyone else not to tell me, either. So even if I took Kanon Kurosawa up on her claim of if I needed anything, she wouldn't be able to follow up on it. But still, I wanted to talk about it, to someone. I needed to tell someone.

I pulled my phone out of my bag wearily, and went to my contacts. My fingers hovered over the group chat I had with my animation club, and then I hesitated, simply staring. Then, with a shaky breath, I changed my mind, and selected Akemi's name instead.

_Can you talk now? _I asked.

Seconds later, my phone rang.

"Is everything okay, Arisato-kun?" Akemi asked the moment I answered.

"No," I could finally say. "No, it isn't."

**…**

_Akagi_

I was listening to music when I could sense my uncle coming up the stairs.

"Pause music." I commanded my phone, before lifting my head up. Now I could hear that he was on the phone, and that for some reason, he had it on loudspeaker too. But as he got closer, I worked out who it was.

"Nee-san, come on, you need to at least tell Akagi what's happening, he has a right to know."

"That boy doesn't have the right to anything from me."

"You're his mother though, he'll worry about you."

"Has something happened to Mum?" I asked instantly.

"See?" My uncle said with an exasperated sigh. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, well." My mother's voice cut through the air. "That type of worry is a bit late now, isn't it, _Mistletoe_?"

I shivered, glad that she was on the other end of a phone line, rather than here, in the room. Then, I felt guilty for feeling like that. Her reaction was not without cause.

"I just want you to be okay, Mum. I know…this is hard."

"Yes, well, it would have been easier, if Lucius was here. And we all know whose fault that was, don't we?"

"Nee-san, no! You don't mean that! How could have Aka-"Uncle Taiki intervened hurriedly.

"Oh, I do mean it. I mean it." My mother stated icily. "And that Mistletoe boy knows it, doesn't he?"

"Yes….but…"

_But, it's okay. I'm going to help find out what happened to you, then you won't need to suffer so hard. And perhaps you will forgive me. _But what if I didn't? Then I'd have committed an even worse crime, of giving her hope. So I shut my mouth, and didn't say all the things that I really, really yearned to say.

"Well, it is not as if it affects you, Mistletoe. Taiki is still putting up with you."

"Nee-san, please…."

I heard Uncle Taiki leave, and continue talking to Mum as he went back down the stairs. A few moments went by, and then I heard the footsteps come back up the stairs, and then there was a slight weight on the bed, indicating that he had come to sit down.

"What has happened?" I asked.

"I haven't got the full gist, as such," Uncle Taiki said with a sigh. "But apparently there's a possibility that your mother was being tracked-the kidnappers put trackers into her and her friends, and it was discovered through an exhumation, or something. I don't know how they'd manage to find that in ashes though, but there you go. So as well as being re-questioned, she has to be examined, to get it removed."

"Oh."

I was not so sure what to say to that. I knew it was a clue, and a big one at that, but that was something else that I could not say. At least, not here. There was a moment of silence, then Uncle Taiki sighed.

"Your dad wanted to go with her, but she's not letting him. So perhaps he might visit you, but we will see."

"I'm going on the tour tomorrow."

"Well now, I didn't necessarily mean tomorrow."

"I know. But it's okay. Mum will need him sooner or later. And she should have someone, if she can't have me."

Uncle Taiki sighed again, and then patted my knee.

"You're such a good boy, Akagi."

"No," I shook my head firmly at that. "Lucius was."

To that, Taiki said nothing. Instead, there was yet another sigh, before he got up.

"Don't stay up too late now." I heard him say as he left once again.

I didn't respond, and instead picked my phone up again. But instead of asking it to play my music again, instead, I gave it a different command.

"Open text messages."

**…**

_Azami_

_Five_

Seeing: What looked like a generic stock photograph of a meadow in a frame on the wall (but which may have been one of my photographs from a long time ago);a small television screen embedded into the wall, operated by a tablet remote, both turned off; Faintly flickering light mixtures; a stack of magazines that held no interest; my sensible shoes.

_Four_

Hearing:The ticking of the old-fashioned wall-clock; my breathing; footsteps in the distance; chatter.

_Three_

Feeling: The tight stickiness of the bandage on my ear; the smoothness of the wooden arm-rests; a faint hunger in my belly.

_Two_

Smelling: antiseptic; faint cigarette smoke my clothes must have picked up from a passer-by.

_One_

Tasting: Just my own saliva.

_Deep breath in, deep breath out. _

And now, calm had returned. If only for a little while. I looked around me at the empty waiting room area, one we had apparently been in before, though I did not recognise it. I was alone, and I wasn't sure what to do. I would have expected that somebody would stay with me-one of the detectives, or a uniform perhaps. But I supposed that for whatever reason, they wanted to stay with the ones being operated on. Mai still hadn't come back even though she had gone before me, Ayuna and Eizo had been gone for a while, and Eikichi had just been taken. And of course, Friede and Takaaki had not yet arrived. I wondered, would I see them today? What would they look like? I could, of course, look it up (there weren't any restrictions on phone usage in this hospital, but then there weren't most of the time these days anyway), but that wasn't really the same. Besides, it was entirely possible that like me, neither had much of a social-media profile to speak of.

The incision in my ear, where they had taken out the bug that had apparently been resting for years, still hurt. I supposed that was a sensation I could have listed under _feeling_-a faint stinging, not helped by whatever was used to clean it. Which was how it was supposed to be, but still. I sighed, and put a hand to it. It was hard to believe that all this time, I had managed to exist without noticing this. Even back then.

And had anyone else noticed, either?

I racked my brain, but I couldn't think. Had maybe Akari said something…a bug-bite. _"Something bit me…." _yes, perhaps. But I couldn't _know_. That was the frustrating thing, enough to make me kick at the leg of my chair before remembering myself, and looking at the doorway furtively.

I wished Eizo was here, then I could ask him if he remembered anything of it. Or well, even any of the others, but I felt like the first person I would go to now was Eizo. Perhaps it was simply because we had 'met' first, so I'd been around him more, but I was starting to feel at ease around him. More than that.

I looked down at my hands, recalling the feeling of Eizo's hands surrounding them. Holding tightly, enveloping with warmth. I wished that I had taken him up on his offer of staying with me. But, I couldn't. Sooner or later, I'd wear out his kindness, I was sure. Nobody was permanently kind, permanently so _good_. Especially not after trauma.

And so, I knew I'd rather wear out that kindness _later_, rather than sooner.

My stomach rumbled again, and on an impulse, I got up. There wasn't any harm in taking a short walk, just up and down the corridor, perhaps round a corner or two to see if there was a vending machine or something of that sort. As long as I came straight back, it'd be fine. So before I could change my mind, I left the room, and ambled down the corridor. Not finding anything that could provide food, nor any signage indicating anything was near, I gave up, and turned the other way. I concentrated hard on the task of finding food, on the sound of my footsteps, anything to distract me from the implications of the bandage on my ear; from all the fuzzy recollections; from the thought of Eizo. But it wasn't entirely working. Not as well as I would have liked it to.

It was not surprising when I bumped into someone.

"Are you going somewhere?"

I startled at the clipped voice of the Superintendent-Onoe-I recalled, and looked up at the woman, whose gold eyes were regarding me with an unreadable expression.

"I was looking for something to eat…." I said, feeling thoroughly stupid for some reason.

"I see. Well, I was coming to find you, actually, Kishinami-san. Since you are the first person finished and recovered, I'd like to question you first."

All I could do was gawp at her. Feeling awkward rather quickly though, my gaze drifted to the badges on her blazer. A sign of her rank, I knew, but really that was all I knew. A moot point, either way.

"Is there a problem? Will you need to call anyone? A family member or…?"

_Family member_. I wished she had said _parent_, because in my mind, the first _family member_ of mine was Akari. It was ridiculous, but there it was. I took a breath, and shook my head.

"I don't….I don't know anything though."

"You are one of our survivors-that alone makes you a key witness. Obviously, you were in no position to help us 20 years ago, but now you are."

_And therefore, you should be leaping at this opportunity. _

At least, that was the implication I heard, though the older woman was calm and almost expressionless, save for a slight wrinkle of the forehead. Yet, also….had I not been wondering things myself, wanting to understand things?

_Akari…._

"The thing is, my state back then means I have poor recall of what was going on…" I said.

_Akari….would you want me to find out who killed you? _

"That will be taken into account, naturally."

_I want to find out, though. I want to understand…_I really, really did. I was so scared, but still. I wanted to understand. And in the end, didn't the detectives want to understand, too? I had nothing to offer, really. It wouldn't be betraying the fears the others had or anything. But it would be something.

_I need to be brave. _

So I took another breath in, and nodded my head.

**…**

_Takaaki_

I wanted to go, but I did not want to go.

I wanted to go, to see the faces of the people who I had once called friends (even if some cases, the term was loosely used) and classmates, to find out what was going on. I wanted to see if they were remembering looking down at the maps on our Electro-IDs and seeing all those pulsating red dots and working out that they represented us. I wanted to find out if they remembered seeing those pulsating dots on a larger map, tracking the last moments of those who had died, one way or another. I wanted to know if they remembered the relief when those dots exonerated us, the worry when it implicated others. I wanted to get the tracker, bug, whatever the heck Ayuna had called it in her message-that I currently wasn't looking at because I was pacing my flat like a caged something or other-out of my ear, as quickly as possible.

But also, I did not want to go. I did not want to be faced with the fact that the faces of these people would be different and unrecognisable. I didn't want to have to talk about what had happened, didn't want to have to talk about the maps and the accusations and the guilt. I didn't want to face up to why it was we had vowed to never talk about what had happened and why we had decided to not see each other again until this all happened. I didn't want to face the possibility that for all these years I had not actually been free, that whoever had done this could have been watching us. Plus, I had said I would get there tomorrow. Not tonight, not the day after tomorrow, but tomorrow. My bags were packed and I had prepared everything to leave tomorrow. And they could like it or lump it, but that was how it was going to be.

But yet, instead of eating or sleeping or tying up a few university-based loose ends or watching trashy TV, I was pacing. Back and forth across my living room space, relentless. It was almost beyond my control, for though my legs were starting to ache and I was starting to yawn and my stomach was insistently reminding me that food was probably a good idea, I couldn't stop. So up and down I went, up and down, thinking.

_Kimiko considered things for a moment, and then, unexpectedly, squeezed into the space next to me and sat down. I made no move to make more space-there wasn't really anywhere to move, anyway. Besides, she was the one to _

"_This isn't in the camera's line of sight, is it?" she asked. _

"_You noticed?" I asked, after a moment. "That's why I'm here."_

_Kimiko gave me a curious look, and I sighed exaggeratedly. _

"_There are cameras in our freaking bathrooms, for crying out loud. I just want to…not be watched."_

"_That's fair. Some of the girls tried to see if they could shower in the dark, but the lights turn on when you go in there and only turn off once you leave." Kimiko said after a moment's thought. _

"_I didn't even think of that." _

_And now I was thinking of it I wanted to crawl out of my own skin, but oh well. This sort of thing was worse for the girls, after all. _

"_Akari-san tried to bring it up, but she was laughed at, apparently."_

"_How do you know all this?" I wanted to know. _

_Kimiko raised an eyebrow. _

"_I'm not constantly hiding away."_

"_I'm not, either." I protested. _

_Kimiko gave me a look. _

"_Honestly, I understand why you're being how you are-"_

"_Am I being anything?"_

_Again, another look before she gave a small sigh and continued. _

"_I see the consequences of human cruelty on my examining table on the time, and already we've had four people die because of human cruelty. Some of it their own, but even so. I get it. Still, it's probably better to try and get along, or be around others. It's less likely something will happen if there are enough witnesses."_

"_And lemme guess, there aren't enough witnesses if I'm on my own."_

"_Exactly."_

"_Technically, there aren't enough witnesses here, either. How do I know you haven't come to kill me?"_

_I didn't _actually _think that she was going to kill me, but the question came out anyway. I wanted to take it back, but I couldn't make myself backtrack or anything like that. Instead, I just stared at her defiantly. Kimiko regarded me for a moment, clearly surprised, but then she nodded slowly. _

"_That's fair, I suppose. Though, for what it's worth, I haven't today." _

_I raised an eyebrow at that. _

"_Today?"_

"_I don't have any intention of killing, but I'm sure that Komiya-kun and Fumiaki-kun didn't, either. And look what happened there. So maybe I'll be unlucky and reach that point, or someone else will reach that point and I'll be their target. Or perhaps I'll be lucky."_

"_Pffft."_

_Kimiko shrugged, and wriggled out, dusting down her trousers and pink shirt. She shook out her legs, presumably to get rid of pins and needles, almost kicking me. Noticing, she apologised. I shook off the apology, and then there was a moment where Kimiko seemed to be deep in thought. _

"_Well, whatever happens, I hope I don't get to the point that those two did. And if I do….well, I hope my Dad won't have to find out."_

_Again, I just stared. Kimiko's eyes looked a little worried, but apart from that, she seemed calm and serious. Eventually, I rolled my eyes and responded:_

"_Well, he won't hear it from me. But anyway, if you're going to attempt to drag me back, do you want to do it now?" _

_It was Kimiko's turn to roll her eyes, and she did so, before holding out a hand. I accepted it and stood up, and we walked back to wherever others were. _

Having a sudden thought, I paused my pacing to pick my phone off of my sad excuse of a coffee table, and I looked back at the messages from Ayuna. _Messages from Ayuna_-what a funny thing to be looking for, all things considered. I never thought that I would have any messages, from any of them. I read them all again, and realised that these trackers that had caused such urgency had been discovered thanks to Kimiko's body being exhumed.

"_Well, whatever happens, I hope I don't get to the point that those two did. And if I do….well, I hope my Dad won't have to find out."_

That was a promise I wouldn't have to break, at least. Kimiko had not gone the way those two, or the four after them, had gone. But all the same, she was gone. And I didn't know if she would have wanted her father to know _that_. I sighed, and put my phone down, and wandered over to a window. Looking out but not really seeing the scenery below me, I put a hand to my ear, and then to the other. Remembered the way those cameras had made my skin crawl. It was bad enough, being watched almost everywhere. But…

_No, no. _

I moved away, half paced, and then stopped. I didn't want to go until tomorrow, because tomorrow was when I'd said I'd be there. But I didn't want to wait like this any longer. I couldn't. I just couldn't.

Shaking and wobbly, but resolute, I walked into my kitchen, and looked for my knife block. I didn't even need multiple types of knives-I barely cooked, but my sister had insisted, but now I searched for the smallest one. I washed it, and then I rushed to the bathroom, and stood in front of the mirror. I tucked my hair behind my ears and stared at my reflection for a long time, holding the knife, hands trembling. There was a part of me that realised this was a mad, mad idea.

But what could I do? What else could I do?

I twisted a thick lock of my hair, and stuffed it into my mouth as something to bite on-it tasted horrible, but it would do-and then I angled the knife above my ear. Images flashed past my eyes, particularly of Kimiko. With her, there had been so much blood. There had been with others, but with Kimiko…

_Get it over with. Get it out. _

So, I did.

One incision, then another, and another, washing my hands and the knife and my ears in between every few. Red swirled around and around in the sink, stained it, got onto my t-shirt and into some of my hair. But soon, eventually, the tiny blade hit something small, and in amongst the red, something small and hard swirled into the sink. I watched it go, momentarily hypnotised by the red water swirling with it into the plughole. Tension I didn't even realise I had in my shoulders leached out, and for a moment my legs went wobbly. I clutched the sink, took in huge gasping breaths.

When my legs seemed like they would work again, I slowly straightened. I pulled off my t-shirt and chucked it in my laundry basket with little regard, and let go off the lock of hair I'd been biting. I looked in the bathroom cupboard for my first aid kit (another thing my sister had foisted on me) and set about cleaning and bandaging up the tops of my ears. I washed the knife again, then took it back to the kitchen, putting it back before once again, the energy left me, and abruptly, I sat on the kitchen floor. I should have felt relieved, and in some ways I was. But at the same time, I wasn't.

Because, sooner or later, it would be tomorrow.

And I both wanted to go, and didn't want to go.


	13. The Pieces

_Shizuka_

Aware that this hospital still needed to run outside of our investigations, I had only commandeered a few rooms to be used for our interviews. But generally speaking, this had always been a good place to bring victims and witnesses if need be, assuming that they were not seriously hurt. The only worry was that the increased police presence would make someone antsy enough to go to the media, and leak what was going on. It was hard enough with the publicity and hype around the new Hope's Peak, but certain journalists were already putting a lot of pressure on the investigation. I had not seen Otsuka Jihara around, but I would not be surprised if an article about our presence here appeared in newspapers or online in the next day or so. Or more than likely she'd attend the press conference that I had already contacted Media Relations about setting up in the next few days.

Since Azami had mentioned she was hungry, I made sure to stop by a vending machine, and give her some time to select something. I observed her as she did so. Her movements were more purposeful, she was clearly aware and engaged with the world. But there was still some caution, and indeed, she seemed to be holding herself too steadily. A couple of times she looked at me askance, almost suspiciously, but whatever worries she had, she didn't voice them.

She ate the snack bar she had selected as we made our way to the room. I knew one was being used by Juro and Evalynn to talk to Eizo, and Nobu was with Ayuna and Eikichi while Gabe was waiting for Friede to arrive. I was not intending this to be a serious interrogation, as such, but just to be sure, when I passed a detective-Hirawa- talking to one of the doctors, I had him come in with me.

"Take a seat, get yourself comfortable," I told Azami. "There's nothing to be worried about, at this stage."

Azami nodded warily-she was not buying it. But yet, she did indeed sit down and appear to try and get herself comfortable. She put the water bottle she'd also bought down on the little table, and looked at me.

"What do you want to ask me?"

"Let's just go through the formalities first. I'm going to record this interview, is that alright?"

"Wouldn't you be doing so anyway?" Azami asked, more curious than belligerent, though her shoulders tensed noticeably.

I nodded to acknowledge her point.

"Yes, but again, it is for procedure's sake." I explained.

"Oh."

Taking that as consent, Hirawa and I ran through the formalities, and then I started.

"Do you remember anyone mentioning that their ears hurt, or that they felt something strange about their ears? Particularly when you all first woke up."

Azami frowned, thinking.

"I think Akari did, and I feel like some others might have, but I don't remember anything. Although…" Azami sat up a little straighter. "I felt a little fuzzy headed, and I remember Kazama-kun and Nanakai-kun also saying they felt like that. And not everybody could remember exactly what happened before…well, before we got there…"

"I presume you are referring to the actual abduction."

Azami nodded.

"I don't remember it anymore, either."

Despite the recording, I wrote notes. This fit with one of the theories that we had come up with in the previous investigation-that after the students had been abducted, they had been drugged in order to get them to the Shirohata High School building. Most likely in different dosages, depending on how cooperative they had been when abducted. Or possibly if they had needed to be sedated to treat whatever had caused some of the unexplained scars some of the students-both dead and survivors-had on their bodies. There'd been a number of theories about that, too, but nothing had been pinpointed, whereas with the drugging we had been fairly sure it had happened, despite the fact that their bloodstreams had obviously held no traces of the drugs after all that time.

"Nothing at all?" Hirawa asked her.

Azami shook her head firmly.

"Let's take a different approach then," Hirawa said. "Shall we, Superintendent?"

"Yes."

I could understand why the detective was checking-my duties these days technically did not warrant me being on the frontline as such. However, I did not want simply to be a paper-pusher. I needed to show my detectives that I knew the responsibilities they had. Besides, there were some cases that I could not just sit by and delegate to others-I needed to be involved.

And by far, this was the case I needed to do that the most.

It was not as if this was the only unsolved case that I had ever dealt with, not by far. But there was something about this one that I really needed to solve. There were so many people that needed answers, me being the least of them. And the thought that someone had managed to escape justice and had been enjoying that freedom for 20 years that rightly should have been the victims' 20 years to enjoy growing up in? I was not the only one who hated that.

_Keep a clear head, _I reminded myself.

"Right," I began. "The Electro-IDs that you were all carrying when we rescued you, what did you use them for?"

Azami blinked.

"I…there were…." Azami frowned, taking on a far-away look, before refocusing. "Why? Didn't you look into them?"

"If you could just tell us what it was that you used them for?" I responded, not wanting to give everything away.

With someone else, I would have more than likely bought up the menu categories that had been discovered, and pressed hard about their meanings. Most likely, I would with the other survivors. But Azami was a different story.

"_Has Kishinami-san responded at all?" I asked the doctor._

_The doctor shook his head. _

"_Nope, not at all. She is showing normal physiological responses, but mentally is a different story. She will occasionally mumble something, but she isn't present in this room, at least not in a way that she can engage with us. Basically, what I am trying to say is, she's catatonic. Most likely it is a trauma response."_

_He turned to indicate the girl, who, apart from appearing to rock slightly, was sitting perfectly still in the chair, staring off into the distance but clearly not seeing anything. I watched her for a moment. She was dressed in hospital pyjamas now, and her hair was undone and flowing over her shoulders. As she rocked, a lock fell over her face, but she didn't react to it at all. It may not even have happened at all, from the way she remained locked in wherever it was her mind had taken her. _

"_Did she change herself?" she asked. _

_The doctor shook his head again. _

"_No, the nurses had to do it for her, in the end. Those friends of hers offered to help-I get the sense they've been helping this young lady a lot in that sense-but obviously we declined that."_

"_Okay. But how come she is in this state, and the others aren't? Yes, they are clearly traumatised, but they aren't catatonic."_

"_In the first place, I'd have thought it was obvious people react differently to trauma," the doctor said. "But as for specifics, I'd say that it has something to do with the loss of her sister. Akari, was that the sister's name?"_

"_Yes, that's right. How did you know?"_

"_It's one of the only discernible things in her mumbling-"_

_The doctor stopped as at that moment, Azami stopped rocking, and looked around her wildly, though it was not in the way of an alert person. _

"_Akari….Akari…?"_

_Then, something unintelligible, before she stilled again, and kept on looking straight ahead. The doctor sighed, and though he had been brisk and cold all this time, a flicker of sadness stole across his face, before he looked at me again and composed himself._

"_More than likely, once we've managed to get her to eat, she'll be sedated to sleep." He informed me. "Whether she'll be in a state to ask any sort of question-well, we shall have to see, but it is unlikely."_

"We needed them to get into our rooms-they sort of acted as really big hotel card keys. And also our kitchen. It was one of the rules, that we had to tap in when using the kitchen."

_-RULES, _I remembered, was one of the sections. To the best of my memory, that had not been mentioned specifically, but the fact they had to use them to get into those places I knew was old information. Still, I nodded encouragingly.

"Were those the rules of your captor?"

Azami tilted her head slightly, as if trying to detect if there was a trick or not. Eventually though, she nodded.

"What else?"

"There was a map of the school-floor by floor." Azami began. "And profiles of ourselves."

"Profiles?" Hirawa asked. "What do you mean about that?"

Azami frowned at us, this time as if wondering how it was we didn't know this already. Hirawa picked up on this, and while pretending to write something down himself, angled the pad at me. I glanced down as I waited for Azami to answer.

_Should we explain that we're looking into the IDs?_

I pondered this for a moment. I still did not want to give things away, and the information exchange between witnesses and detectives wasn't supposed to be an equal one. However, this witness was also essentially a victim, and victims deserved closure.

"Just information about us….our names, ages, Talents and things. Also our status if one of us…." Azami trembled slightly, but pulled herself together. "Why are you asking anyway? I don't understand."

"We are looking into the Electro-IDs again. "

At this, Azami sat up a little straighter, and her eyes widened.

"You're actually looking at them? You've seen what was on there?"

"We are looking into them," I repeated. "But that doesn't tell us what you did with them. How did you work them, for example?"

"Work them?" she asked, tremulously. "I mean, they needed charging every so often, but really we just put it off of sleep mode and just opened it."

"No passcode?"

"No….."Azami tapped her fingers against the table absently, then paused and shook her head decisively. "No, there wasn't. I could just tap it and I was in."

Again, her fingers tapped, seemingly absently, but she looked off into the distance, and the tapping became a little harder. Perhaps, in her mind, she was imagining the Electro-ID in her hands, and how she used it.

"Did you swipe the screen, the way you would do with an iPad?"

Azami shook her head, but didn't respond. Her eyes cleared, and she looked at me in some confusion. She shook her head again.

"No, I pressed." She insisted.

"Are you sure?" Hirawa asked.

Azami nodded firmly. I made a note of this, then exchanged a look with Hirawa. It was time to change tack, and I would let him take the lead with this one.

"Alright, Kishinami-san," he began. "What else do you remember about your captivity? The others around you, how were they acting?"

"I mean….we were scared. We were all scared, I'm sure. I think some of us showed it more than others-"

"How do you mean?" the detective asked.

"I….Akari thought that everyone was suspicious, from the get-go, and I was worried too, but I still wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt. But then….but then everyone started dying….and Akari…."

Azami gulped, taking in big deep breaths, and she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering violently. She actively seemed to be trying to still herself, so though the detective paused, I jumped straight in with the question that had formed immediately with Azami's words.

"What do you mean, everyone was suspicious? What reason would your sister have had to believe that?"

In all honesty, there were very few things that I had been able to safely say that I was certain of in this case. But of those few, one of them I was certain of was that the ones who had survived were not guilty of being the culprits. Of knowing more than they were telling us, and holding that back-for sure. Perhaps even assisting the responsible parties under duress. But the actual responsibility? No, that was not theirs.

But that did not prevent the possibility that it might have been the responsibility of one of the others. Which is why it was interesting that Azami had now said this about the situation they were in.

The detective repeated the question, but more softly, when Azami did not respond. She looked straight at us, eyes wide as if the question had just sunk in for her. She put her hands over her mouth for a moment, and then lowered them, placing them on the table, seeming to concentrate on laying them flat. Her whole body tensed.

"Kishinami-san?" I asked.

Again, there was no response. For whatever reason, this question had hit at something that scared her too much to be able to tell us. And from past experience with the rest of the survivors who had been so much more able to be questioned, I knew that there was no way to get past that block. At least, not yet.

"_What are you getting at, that it's our fault that this happened, because we didn't have an adult with us?"_

_The defiance in Ayuna's eyes was still bright, despite the haunted look to them, the bags that had formed, the paleness of her face. She tugged at her somewhat baggy jacket and glared._

"_That isn't what I am trying to sugges-" I started to say, but suddenly, Ayuna leant forward, glaring. _

"_Are you really that dense? I know we're 'just kids' and all that, but firstly, while we did want to go on our own, we didn't refuse an adult. Secondly, do you really think an adult would have helped in the situation? Do you actually think that the dudes who forced us to pull over and held Fumiaki-kun at gunpoint so he cou-"_

_Ayuna stopped abruptly at that, eyes widening momentarily, as if suddenly realising she should not be saying what she was saying. She clamped her mouth shut, lips thinning as I was given a mutinous glare. _

But even with that thought in mind, I knew I had to keep trying. Yes, they were clearly scared and scarred by whatever had happened. But none of them were the vulnerable children we had rescued twenty years ago. They were all adults, they had all built lives. Even Azami, though I knew she needed more careful handling, had clearly achieved that. I would not dismiss the need for a softer approach like Nobuyuki's out of hand, but I would not pussyfoot around. This second chance couldn't go to waste.

"Leave that for the moment, Kishinami-san. Let's go back to the reactions that you said everyone had. Was there anyone at all who had a particularly…unusual response?"

Azami was still shaking, but she managed to consider that question for a moment.

"From what I remember, there was Yuki-kun-he was really like a child, he didn't understand that everything was real. He just thought it was a silly game. Poor Yuri-chan, she was always having to make sure that he didn't get into trouble. Eizo, he was a little like that. Not exactly-he knew everything was real, but he joked about it at first, he thought that we'd be rescued straight away, that it'd be fine. He stopped believing that after Fumiaki-kun died, though. Hanamura-kun sort of kept things close to his chest, he could seem rather stern-he didn't have much time for Yuki-kun, but I think he really just wanted to keep us calm. Seiko-chan worked with him a bit, in that sense."

Azami stopped at that point, thinking about it. I supposed, depending on when exactly it was Akari had died, that she really only had a few days, a couple weeks at most worth of memories to draw from.

"Did you ever have any reason to suspect any of them might have known more about what was going on, particularly as your classmates started to die?" I decided to directly ask.

Azami shook her head cautiously.

"I don't understand what you are asking."

"You mentioned that your sister thought everyone was suspicious-was that because there was a possibility they were perhaps aiding your captor in the deaths of your classmates?"

"I don't…." Understanding of some sort suddenly bloomed on Azami's face, and she paused before shaking her head rapidly. "No, he wouldn't have. He wouldn't have."

_He? _I hadn't specifically been asking about anyone in particular, so it was interesting that Azami had straight away thought of someone specific.

"Who do you mean, Kishinami-san?" Hirawa asked.

Azami was trembling again, and she shook her head. She started to rock slightly.

"_Aozaki-kun, what do you mean? Is that how you were taken to the abandoned building of Shirohata High School?"_

_The glare didn't abate, even as she straightened. Her hands trembled as she reached for her glass, but she didn't seem aware of it. Instead, as she lifted it off the table, it slipped from her hands, and shattered against the table, splashing water everywhere, shards falling to the floor. Ayuna pushed her chair back abruptly, covering her mouth with her hands, still shaking. She did not seem to notice the water that had splashed her. _

"_Detective, I think we need to stop there. He needs a break." Ayuna's father said. _

_I nodded at this, and stood up. There was no sense in continuing with things as they stood. The glass and water would also need to be cleaned too. _

"_Yes, that's fine. Interview terminated, 14:40."_

Had Azami reached that sort of point, yet? I repeated Hirawa's question, and waited for Azami to answer.

"I know that Eizo didn't do anything. None of us did! I know it. I might not have been present enough, but I know it."

Since I had not been angling towards suggesting the survivors were suspicious, this took me by surprise for a moment. But of course, that had once been a possibility to be explored, and if the evidence did point that way, we would explore that possibility again.

But….she was saying, _I know_. What made her so sure.

"How do you know?" I asked her.

Azami was still rocking, her eyes looking far away. But she looked directly at me, face resolute, as she answered.

"Because we wouldn't be here now if we had. "

The rocking increased, and Azami wrapped her arms around herself even tighter, looking at us beseechingly.

"Can we go now?" she asked, before either of us could process or think of a follow-up question.

"_I'm sorry, Detective." Eikichi muttered as he grabbed the tissues and wiped his face, and attempted to wipe his clothes down too. He then tried to do the same with the floor, but Amasaki knelt down and stopped him. _

"_Don't worry. We'll get someone in. Get a drink of water."_

_Eikichi started to get up, but then wobbled, and simply changed from a kneeling position to a sitting one. He looked down at his legs for a moment, then back up at us. _

"_May I try again later?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse. _

I looked at Hirawa, who gave me a questioning look. I nodded, then turned to Azami, who was still rocking herself and looking more than slightly panicked.

"Alright. We'll take you back now. " I told her, before going to the recorder. "Interview terminated, 19:03."

**…**

_Gabriel_

As I waited, I decided to take out my phone and quickly send a message to my husband to tell him that I would more than likely be late home. Of course, this wasn't going to come to a massive surprise to him anyway, but still, it was always nice to let him know. Even though the more often I was late, the more elaborate the next date night we had was going to have to be. Oh well, on both ends of things-solving the case and enjoying my family life-it would be more than worth it. Or so I hoped.

It was strange, having seen most of the survivors gathered together like that, especially as with the exception of Mai, I hadn't really seen any of them for years. Sure, I had been the one to answer the call Eizo made when he wanted advice about helping a university friend who was being stalked, but apart from that, different cases had taken up most of my time, to say nothing of meeting and marrying Hibiki, and more recently, the adoption of our twins.

Nonetheless, Mai, Eikichi, Eizo, Ayuna, Friede, Azami and Takaaki had, one way or another, been haunting me for twenty years. Not least because the closure of the case back then had felt like a massive failure. I had come into the job to help people like them, and I hadn't been able to. So though this second chance had been a surprise, I was going to grab it with both hands.

I just hoped that I actually would be able to this time, that the help I would give would this time be meaningful, instead of just the little things from before.

"_How can you actually know this isn't part of the ploy? Confinement wasn't getting the results that they wanted, so they decided to mix it up? Or something, I don't know, I don't claim to be a criminal mastermind now. For all we know we could just be frogs waiting to be boiled, or we could actually be being boiled and we haven't noticed." Takaaki challenged. _

"_Frogs? Why are we frogs?" Eizo wanted to know. _

"_Oh, knock it off, stop being ridiculous!" Eikichi shot out, glaring daggers at Takaaki._

"_Am I being ridiculous? Or are you simply unable to consider the possibility?"_

"_Jinsai-kun, please." Mai said worriedly. "Don't be silly. We are safe now. We are, right, Officer Matsumoto?"_

_Mai looked at me pleadingly, and I did my best to smile reassuringly at them._

"_Of course you all are, Sadie-chan."_

"_Can you provide an argument to prove that you are who you say you are?"_

"_Erm…." I wanted to laugh again, but Takaaki's gaze had gone dark, and he was rocking slightly in his chair. "I have my ID."_

"_In all fairness, anyone can offer an ID-but seriously Takaaki, why are you thinking like this?"_

"_Why aren't you?"_

_Eikichi, Takaaki and Ayuna all glared at each other, while Eizo, Mai and Friede all looked on with some worry. _

"_Now, now…." _

_I tried to be soothing as my mind scrambled for a suitable response to reassure. It seemed understandable to me that they were struggling to adjust to what was going on around them, but I couldn't think of how I could help with that. If Nobuyuki or one of the detectives were here, surely they'd have an idea. I looked around desperately, and then I looked at the window, and inspiration hit. _

"_Come over here, to the window." I said, walking over to it and opening it wide, looking out to make sure that there was nobody out on the small patch of lawn that it overlooked. _

_The six teens looked at me with trepidation, and I gave them a big smile, and beckoned them over with a hand gesture. Eventually, Friede stood and walked over, and then from that Mai followed. Then Ayuna and Eizo, before Eikichi did the same. Takaaki stared at them, and then eventually jumped off the chair arm he had been sitting on, and came over. _

_I stepped to the side, but still made sure I had full view of, well, the view. _

"_Lean out, breathe in. Don't lean out too far, obviously." _

_This earnt me a look from some of them, but all the same, with varying degrees of hesitancy, they did indeed lean out and breathe in. A couple of them closed their eyes, and they remained that way for a moment, the breeze playing with their hair, but most importantly tickling their faces, impossible to not feel. Friede was the first to lean back, and some tension had left her slight frame. But eventually, the others followed suit, and started to trail back to their seats, looking a great deal relaxed. _

I sighed, and as my phone buzzed, I looked away from the doorway I was meant to be keeping vigil over for just a moment.

Hibiki: Okay, got it. I hope you know I'm tallying all your late nights ;) Also, the kids were asking why you weren't home-want me to tell them?

Me: No, call them over, I'll briefly video-call.

And so I did. Hibiki picked up immediately, and from the background I could tell that he was in the kitchen. He smiled widely, and I felt a warm glow inside me.

"Hey there," I said. "Sorry about not being home."

"It's fine. Just remember not to overwork yourself too much, alright?"

"I know, I know, but I definitely need to be here tonight."

"Coolio. Let me call them over. Tommy, Kara!"

There was a scramble of footsteps, and then Kara's face filled the screen first.

"Hi, Mr Gabe."

"Hey there, sweetie. Had a good day?"

Kara blushed and beamed, nodding. I heard Tommy complain, and then Kara shuffled over, and Tommy stared into the screen.

"Why're you not home yet?" he demanded, almost suspiciously.

"Tom, he's catching bad guys!" Kara said in a half-whisper.

"Are you really?" Tommy asked me.

"I am indeed." I said. _Well, at least, I'm hopefully in the process of doing so. _

"I guess that's okay then." Tommy decided after a moment, with all the haughtiness a ten-year-old could master.

I let the kids take the conversational lead for a few moments, and then I heard someone calling 'Detective Matsu', so I bid them goodbye and hung up, putting my phone in my pocket as a uniformed officer came striding to me, followed by a woman. I observed her appearance-blond hair, pale skin, somewhat tall, pink shirt, slim-leg trousers, neat and elegant, but not overly so. She looked around her cautiously, and then her eyes settled on me.

"I remember you. You were in uniform though." She stated.

"That's right. How are you, Heiwa-chan? Or I suppose I should call you Anabuki-san?" I said, before thanking the officer and dismissing him.

"Heiwa is fine." She said. "I got a message from Aozaki-san…are we really being….."

She touched both her ears cautiously, and I nodded as I took her into the room we had set aside and gave her a concise run-down, making sure she was sat down for it. But Friede seemed calm. Shaken, of course, but calm as she soberly nodded, clearly taking it in.

"In that case, please get it out. But first…."

"Yes?"

"May I see the others?"

"Yes, of course, I'll need to get someone her with you but the-"

At that moment, the door opened, and Nobu and Evalynn came back in with Eizo.

"Thanks for cooperating with us. We'll let you know when you can go back to where you're staying."

"I'm waiting to Azami anyway and-oh!"

Eizo stared at the both of us for a long time, and then he walked up to Friede.

"Hey there, Heiwa."

"Eizo-san."

"I, well, long time, no see, huh?" Eizo said, sitting down next to her. "You alright?"

"Yes. It looks like you've got your trackers out too?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah. A couple of us still have to…they aren't all in the exact same places in every person for some reason. But you should get id done soon, right?"

Eizo looked over at us questioningly, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'll just go to get that arranged, alright?"

Friede politely thanked me, and then continued to watch us, and to watch Eizo.

"I'll join you, and Nobu can stay here and baby-sit." Evalynn said, cheekily.

"Babysit?" Eizo said, laughing where Friede just looked faintly bemused.

"Sure thing." Nobu said easily, sitting down.

"Alright then, Detective Dupont, let's do this."

"After you, Detective Matsu."

**…**

_Otsuka_

With the exception of a break for some chocolates, another for some pot ramen and a sandwich, and various toilet breaks, I had spent the evening in my crash pad so far researching and looking up new possible leads, as well as reasons the survivors would be in hospital. I had been careful not to reveal my hand too early to journalistic rivals, but I had tapped some for information, and found that there were whispers of a press conference to come soon. I supposed that I could wait for that unless something more interesting or relevant came up, and so I filed that information away, and focused on collecting enough background information about Kyosuke Munakata, and any of the new staff that were known to be there.

To my great surprise, with the exception of one of Munakata's close school friends being part of the security team, another close friend being slated to be a homeroom teacher, and the school's technology being run by the Fujisaki Corp, there didn't seem to be any obvious links to the old Hope's Peak's staff. It looked like Kazutaka Oomori, the latest head of the Oomori Foundation, who'd had links to the old Hope's Peak via friendship with Kazuo Tengan, had often expressed a desire to reopen Hope's Peak (and then, once Munakata had decided to, a desire to be involved in that project). But Munakata, as far as I could see, had not taken him up on this request. What publicity there was often talked about a 'fresh start', too. _And that could mean anything, couldn't it? _Hopefully I would find that out when or if I got to interview Munakata.

As well as this, I tried to get some information about those murders that Tetsuji had claimed were similar to what had happened to Class 78B. Even if it was only barely plausible, a lead was a lead. But since all the murders had seemed so different on the surface, it was hard. But, after going down many true-crime-sleuth-type rabbit holes and fighting off tiredness, I discovered a lot of cameras had been found on the sites, even if they had not been a part of the building before. And the causes of deaths of each specific person within the crime scenes had been different enough to seem like they could have been done by different people. It was still vague, still uncertain. But it was something. I didn't understand how the police couldn't even have been slightly curious about all this. Perhaps, when I had exhausted my own resources, I would share my finding with them, and they'd find the rest of the way forward. With that in mind, I kept on my digging.

Time went by, and I continued to collect and update all the information I had, backing it up and cross checking it, gathering potential clues and possibly filing in some answers-though I'd really need to analyse it. The night dragged on, and I started to flag, but I was determined to keep going for as long as I could, even as I yawned more and more.

_But _when I couldn't fight off the next wave of yawning, I decided, _Alright, time to call it quits. _So, with some reluctance, I did just that, shutting down and getting ready for the night. Or at least, for now. Who knew what lead might come in the middle of the night? And if it did, once it did, it would be like day.

But until then, I had to sleep, or I would crash, and then what would I do?

So, I clambered into bed, and reluctantly picked my phone up to put it in the drawer of my bedside table when I stopped, and stared at the screen. _Wait a minute, of course. _Tetsuji Kamiya had a medical background. It was entirely possible he'd know something about why the survivors would suddenly need to be summoned to hospital. So, quickly, I tapped out a text:

_Hey, the survivors have all congregated at the hospital with some of the detectives on the case. Do you know why that could be?_

After sending this, I realised it'd probably be useful to specify_ which _hospital, so Ifired off one more message. And then, without a further thought, I shoved the phone in the drawer, lay my head on my pillow, and promptly fell asleep.

**...**

_Tetsuji_

_I picked through the wreckage, following Kenichi, the other Forensics people, and the officers who had been tasked to keep an eye on us as the detectives went ahead. _

"_There's nobody over here. We need photographs though!" One of the detectives waved, and two Forensics rushed over. _

_I stopped, and looked around me, staring up at the steep incline that the van, and then more recently the car, had veered down. A check that one of the officers assigned specifically to the case had run had confirmed the plates of the van were the same as the one that'd been rented out to Moeka and her friends. _And that was why we were here_, I thought, as I knelt down. _Because there was the strong possibility that at last, we would find them.

_I was not technically meant to be searching properly myself. The only reason Detectives Onoe and Amasaki had allowed Kenichi and me to be here was to assist the rookies from our respective departments, and to help in identifying Moeka and Kimiko immediately. Whether that was alive or dead. But all the same, I knelt down, figuring that as I was booted and suited up appropriately, I would not be contaminating anything by trying to help, sifting through the debris looking for these teenagers. Or what was most likely to be their remains. _

_But I didn't want to think about that. Not yet. _

"_You're not meant to be doing that."_

_Shifting because my legs were starting to ache, I glanced up to see one of the officers-the bright, earnest one with the red hair and glasses-looking down at me. I narrowed my eyes at him._

"_I know what I'm doing."_

"_No, that isn't the issue, Kamiya-san, but-"_

"_Psh, I know. I'd call you over if I found her. Or any of them."_

_When the officer continued to look uncertain, I gave a heavy sigh. _

"_Besides, you need the scene processed quicker."_

_After looking around for a moment, the officer sighed and hesitantly nodded at that. _

"_Then, I'll tag along with you. Just to ensure there are no issues."_

_I grunted, since I wasn't going to get around it either way. Besides, now I was looking at him properly, I realised that this was the officer who had taken the call, and spotted the possibilities that had led us here in the first place. _

_Apparently glad with my response, the officer crouched down beside me, and we continued our work. Time went by, and a pile of assorted personal effects from all the students-clothes, books, various bits of teenage tech, toiletries, even a few stuffed toys-began to form, all bagged and tagged and ready to be transformed back. I fought the urge to grab ahold of Moeka's floral brooches that spilled out of her suitcase, or the pink ballet slippers that had presumably been on the floor of the van-now scuffed and dirty. I saw Kenichi linger similarly over a pyjama top and a keychain of some sort. Samples of blood were found on seats, as were strands of hair. Dozens and dozens of fingerprints. _

_The only thing missing, was them. _

I remembered standing there, at the end of that long evening, slightly up the incline with Kenichi, banished to the side-lines as everyone else finished the work of processing that scene. Back then, I was relieved that my daughter had not been lying dead and unnoticed in a ditch for weeks, that she hadn't spent goodness knows how long dying from horrific crash injuries-but at the same time I had been annoyed that this, too, had proved to be a dead end as well.

Now, though, I wished that we had found them there. Because even though Moeka would have still been dead then, at least it would have been a simpler story. One of a tragic accident-teenage drivers, tiredness, bad timing and luck. I would have known what had happened to her, and how, and perhaps…well, perhaps life would have been different. Perhaps it would not have hurt so much.

But no. It couldn't work like that, could it?

Annoyed, I thumped down the box that I had been looking through. It wobbled and fell over, and papers strewed themselves everywhere. I cursed briefly, under my breath, and got up to gather them, mood lowering even more. Until I could figure out a game plan of some sort, I was completely stuck. I could not go to the station again, and I was sure Amasaki wasn't going to listen to me anymore. There was the possibility of trying to track down and talk to the Oomori family, but considering how stiff and overly loyal towards Hope's Peak they had been before, it was unlikely any of them would give me the time of day either.

And alright, I acknowledged with a yawn I steadfastly ignored, I could ask that young journalist girl, but I knew she wanted something from me in excha-

My phone beeped, and mid-gather, I stopped abruptly, then put down what was in my hand and shuffled over to get it. _Huh, think of her and she appears. _I gave the texts a cursory read-and then I had to stop and read again.

_The hospital…_

I thought of the woman again, the one I was sure was Azami. If what Otsuka had said was true, and all the survivors were at the hospital, then she would be there too.

So that was where I needed to be, too.


	14. Extracts 3

**I suppose this is probably going to be the Christmas update. I'm gonna be working on ASIB next so more than likely this'll be the last update of 2019 as well. But anyway, I hope you enjoy, and Happy Christmas/Hannukah/whatever other festivities there are at this time of year! I hope it'll be a good one for all of you :)**

* * *

_Extract from interview conducted with Eizo Amai at Towa Private Hospital, Towa City, 16__th__ July 2039, 18:44._

**In Attendance: Detective Nobuyuki Kurosawa and Detective Evalynn Dupont**

E.D.: So, these trackers. Did you have any inkling about them?

E.Z.: About having been walking around with one embedded in my ears the last two decades? I mean, it explains why I used to keep setting things off, but apart from that (sheepish laughter)…no, no clue at all.

N.K.: I recall that in the original investigation, you didn't mention feeling anything in your ears?

E.Z.: No, I don't think….some of the others did, right?

N.K.: Tell us what you remember about that.

E.Z.: I, well….(pause) I remember Yuki crying about it. He cried a lot back then, just like a kid…

(pause)

N.K.: Are you alright?

E.Z.: Yeah, just thinking that Yuki didn't get a chance to grow up, but anyway, sorry. Yeah, I think some of the others did. Fumi said something, though I think it was more a niggle for him, you know? Besides, some of us were worried that we'd hurt ourselves after the crash.

E.D.: Some of you mentioned that briefly before, this crash. Is there more that you can say about that?

E.Z.: (shakes head firmly)

N.K.: Alright, we can revisit that specifically later, but I do need to ask if there were any serious injuries apart from the ear niggles?

E.Z.: (shakes head again) Fumi felt a little beat-up, and some of the others-Hanamura, Sen'ya, Kamiya, they did too. Like kinda bruised, though not actually bruised if you get me. But apart from that, not really, not as far as I remember.

E.D.: Are you absolutely sure?

E.Z.: Yes, I am.

N.K.: Alright then, so, back to the trackers. Now that you know about them, looking back, can you think of what they might have been used for?

E.Z.: It probably explains how that damn bear could always find us. You know, this one?

E.D.: For the recorder, Eizo Amai is showing a tattoo on his inner left wrist, depicting a stylised black-and-white bear that corresponds with the symbolism found within Shirohata High School's building.

N.K.: This is the…robotic bear? The one that told you that you were all going to be trapped.

E.Z.: Yeah, that one.

E.D.: Why'd you have that on your wrist? Because see, that's not really something I'd want to immortalise.

E.Z.: (long pause)

E.Z.: It's for Fumi. I tell everyone else that it's just cos he likes-liked, rather- bears and this one looks funky. But really…it's just as a reminder. That all of this happened, and that not all of us were so lucky to make it.

(A long pause from all parties.)

N.K.: Alright, so can you give me an example of what you mean by saying that the bear knew where you were?

**…**

_A page from the Shirohata High School Inventory-Kitchen_

-Twenty sets of cups, bowls and plates, generic homeware store brand, white. Seven of the sets are incomplete, corresponding with the breakfast set-up in the eating area. Those in the cupboards have been washed and dried appropriately.

-Twenty sets of 24-piece Alessi itsumo cutlery, in cutlery drawer. Again, roughly seven sets are incomplete and correspond with the breakfast set-up

-Three sets of Henckel Miyabi cooking knives on the counter. Most are clean, but two of the smaller knives have specks of blood embedded in the blade. DNA tests found these correspond to Akari Kishinami on both and Kimiko Tsukuda on one. Fingerprint testing has brought up inconclusive results, suggesting either multiple people handled it or attempted to clean the knives.  
(There are no traces of blood or any other substances on any kitchen surfaces or the floor)

-Various pots, pans, and other cooking utensils, various brands. See attached document for more details. The majority are cleaned, but show multiple usages-fingerprinting mainly match Sarah Mai Hashiri and Friede Benbow, but prints from Seiko Yamamoto and Moeka Kamiya have also been found.

-The cupboards around the kitchen counter are filled with packets of cereal, nuts, soup, biscuits and other perishables, all from various generic brands and in packaging that indicates they were bought in bulk. In the furthest cupboard from the kitchen counter, hidden behind packets of plain granola that appear to have gone untouched, there were small vials of an unidentified substance-to be referred for further testing. No conclusive fingerprints were found on the bottles.

-Left hand side cupboard contained fruits and vegetables, again in crates and apparently bought in bulk, though there was no branding on the crates. The cupboard on the right side is actually a meat-storage cupboard.

-The two fridges contained milk, butter, cheese and other various fridged food items, all from generic supermarket brands.

-The two freezers were similar, except with various freezer items.

**…**

_Extract from the article 'Hope's Peak to Close' for the Towa Gazette, dated 22__nd__ July 2019._

…the news comes over three months after Class 78-B initially disappeared while on a road trip to celebrate the ushering in of the new era. While Principal Kirigiri and his closest associates continue to remain tight-lipped about their motives for closing, much as they have allegedly been throughout the efforts to find the students, there is much speculation that they are caving into the pressure that has been put on them for allegedly not taking enough responsibility for the minors ostensibly in their care…

**…**

_Messages recovered from phone belonging to Moeka Kamiya, found at the accident scene._

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:20]Moeka Kamiya: _Hey, guess what, we did it! We've found a van.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:20] Sen'ya Ochiai:_ Yeah, it's pretty decent.

_[4th April 2019, 15:20] Sen'ya Ochiai:_ We're parking it in the garage so you can come take a look , but here's a picture [image attachment: IMG_20190404_01]

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:21]Rin Hatakawayama: _coooooooollllll

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:21] Kiran Nanakai: _Oh, that's brilliant, did it take too long to find one?

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:21] Moeka Kamiya: _No, no, not at all.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:21] Sarah Mai Hashiri: _Lilian-chan and I are practising together, we'll come take a look soon.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:21] Moeka Kamiya: _No worries, take your time!

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:21] Akari Kishinami: _Well, it wasn't completely accurate to say there wasn't any trouble.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:21] Eikichi Hanamura: _What do you mean?

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:21] Azami Kishinami: _Well, not really trouble as such, but when we were at the place Moeka-chan thought someone was following us, but when we looked we couldn't see anyone.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22] Akari Kishinami: _And I could have sworn someone was staring at us when we started to drive back.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22]Eikichi Hanamura: _What, again? How many times has this happened?

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22] Moeka Kamiya: _Quite a few….

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22]Eikichi Hanamura: _It's probably because of that school website post you did.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22]Moeka Kamiya: _I know, but that's why Komiya-kun and I chose the picture from the end of last year rather than make you all take a new one.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22]Sen'ya Ochiai: _Look yeah, in their defense they aren't fucking stupid, but also Principal Kirigiri was ragging them about it quite a bit.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22]Takaaki Jinsai: _Interesting choice of word, methinks.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22]Sen'ya Ochiai : _GDI phone, why

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22]Sen'ya Ochiai : _Obs I meant nagging

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22]Sen'ya Ochiai : _Also Jinsai why is THIS the time you choose to make a rare appearance

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22] Takaaki Jinsai: _¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22] Sen'ya Ochiai:_…

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22] Akari Kishinami: _Also can I just point out that this happened a bunch last year too?

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:22] Eikichi Hanamura: _Good point.

_[4__th__ April 2019, 15:23] Kiran Nanakai: _But if it's all been happening around the school, maybe it'll stop once we're gone?

**…**

_Extract of transcript of 119 call made on May 3__rd__, 2019, 03:15 am. _

**Operator on call: Hisayo Niiyama.**

HY: 119, What's your emergency?

Caller: Um….I was travelling back to….to Towa _*coughs*_ fr-from a conference, along the Takamachi Motorway and there…I saw a d-deer _*coughs again, violently.*_

HY: Okay, sir, take a deep breath.

Caller: _*strangled breathing*_

HY: Can you tell me what happened? Are you in immediate danger?

Caller: I've swerved down a ditch….*coughs* the front of my car's completely crumpled, and I can't get out….I've hit something hard. Oh….

HY: Sir?

Caller: My head….but, the kids….

HY: _*sharply*_ Are there children in the car with you, sir?"

Caller: What? No, no, just….I think there was another accident here already. I've landed right on top of some other van, and just before we hit, I-I-I

Caller: _*takes a deep breath*_

Caller: There's bags. With the type of clothes girls would wear-all pink and f-flower…

Caller: _*silence*_

HY: Sir? Are you still there?

Caller: Mmmm….the children…..what about the children…..

HY: Alright, keep talking to me, we're getting someone to you and the children as soon as possible. Can you tell me your name?

**…**

_Extract from a post made on Hope's Peak's official website, 3__rd__ April 2019_

**Posted by: SchoolAdmin**

Hello there!

Class 78-B here! As you know, the name of the new era has been announced, and we can't wait for Reiwa to begin! We'll be having a huge party to celebrate, but to do that we have to get some bits and pieces sorted! So, we'll be going on a road trip starting from this weekend and it should take us a week!

We'll be starting from Towa City, and passing through Yonago and Kyoto on our way, finishing up in Saitama, then heading a similar way back. So if you want to come and say hi at one of those points, feel free!

With love,

78-B Class Representatives.

[Image Description: An informally posed group-shot of all twenty members of Class 78-B, with Fumiaki Amai, Eikichi Hanamura, Teiichi Kazama, Sen'ya Ochiai, Osamu Aozaki, Seiko Yamamoto, Sayuri Fujimoto standing in the back row; Azami Kishinami, Akari Kishinami, Friede 'Heiwa' Benbow, Eizo Amai, Sarah 'Sadie' Mai Hashiri, Moeka Kamiya, Rin Hatakawayama, Kimiko Tsukada, Kiran Nanakai and Lilian Lao standing in front of them; Takaaki Jinsai lying down in front of them, Katsuya Komiya and Takayuki Fujimoto kneeling either side of Takaaki Jinsai. All the students look relaxed and/or happy and the location appears to be somewhere on the school grounds on a sunny day.]


	15. Enough for the Night

_Nobuyuki_

I closed the door on Eizo and Azami, before stealing a look at them-both exhausted, though Eizo had done a good job of trying to quash it the moment that he saw Azami again. The two of them were now sitting quite close together, heads bowed as they talked. Or rather, Eizo talked, voice low and soothing, words barely distinguishable. But for now, they seemed none the worse for wear. Or so I hoped as I turned to face the others.

"So, what are we deciding for now?" I asked.

"Cut them loose for now, I say." Evalynn flippantly announced. "I mean, they are all in different states right now and we don't even know what's fully going on with the trackers."

"Actually, about that." Shizuka interjected. "I had the technicians fast-track tests on their status first, and it appears that the trackers have been dormant all this time."

"So, they haven't been used to follow the survivors over the past two decades." Detective Hirawa added.

"That's good at least." I said. "They'll be glad to know that. "

"Have we found anything else?" another of the detectives inquired.

"Not yet," Hirawa said. "But we're working on it."

There was a brief discussion about what we'd gleaned from the various interviews we'd managed to have with those survivors who were here. Which was to say, not much. Though it seemed that Azami, of all people, had been more open. I would have pegged her to be the most reluctant to talk of all of them, but clearly not-though she had inevitably reached her limit very quickly. It was hardly news at this point, but the gentle approach was most definitely needed in at least her case, and I would make sure this was known. Eizo, on the other hand, had been less helpful. Oh, he'd had an open manner to him, and had seemed to be trying, but there was a wall that he'd reach and then just halt at, no matter my gentle direction or Evalynn's more to-the-point jabbing. Friede had been similar in the short interview Gabe had had with her before she'd gone in to surgery.

"So, at the moment, unless they need to stay in the hospital overnight, those who are finished are welcome to go home for the night, and then we can regather them in the morning. Of course, we'll need a presence here for those still here and yet to arrive. I trust that you can delegate amongst yourselves and the officers about that."

"Yeah, yeah." Evalynn said breezily, for all of us.

"Should we not just question them now?" another detective asked. "They'll have time to get their stories straight this way."

"They've had twenty years to get their story straight in case you didn't notice." Evalynn snarked.

Technically, they had, but they hadn't as far as I could see. With a few exceptions here and there, this had been the first time they'd seen each other. Which in itself was an interesting piece of evidence. Having a few group interviews under such circumstances would also most likely yield some interesting information. _And speaking of interesting circumstances…_

"Just one more question, Superintendent-are you going to recuse Detective Arisato?"

Shizuka considered me for a moment, then shook her head.

"At this stage, his connection doesn't outweigh the benefits of his past experience. But I'll be monitoring the situation. "

"Yes, at the moment I think even with the trackers, we don't have a strong enough direction to go in to make the relationship a problem just yet." Hirawa interjected.

"But send him home with Arisato-san for now." Shizuka added. "Are there any more questions from anyone?"

Since there weren't, we all set off in our different directions. Evalynn went to get Gabe to tell him that those who had finished were able to go home, while I went off to the hospital room that Mai was in, and opened the door. Mai was sitting in the bed, Juro on a chair pulled right up, the two of them holding hands while Juro talked and Mai looked at him anxiously. When I knocked, they both startled, but Juro at least put a smile on as I opened the door.

"Why, hello there. How are you feeling now?"

"I'm…I'm okay. " Mai said, sounding decidedly not okay.

"I was just telling Mai that Sachi is staying with Kanon-san and Naomi-chan, and that Akio is with a school friend."

_Okay, that explains why she looks particularly upset. _Mai was one of those people that particularly enjoyed being a mother. Indeed, it was when she'd given birth to Akio that I'd really been able to set aside the fact that she'd been a survivor of a tragedy, pushing that fact about her to the back of my mind (I could not entirely forget, of course) until now. She didn't smother her kids, but having them away from her was not something she'd ever found easy.

"It's a good idea, that way you guys can talk about things-well, not about the case, as such, but you know, talk about it and you don't have to worry about them. They're going to hear about things on the news anyway, but at least this way they're not in the thick of it."

"I know…" Mai sighed sadly, and released one of her hands from Juro's grip to pick up a black hair bow that was on the bedside table.

"Anyway, Juro, can I talk to you a moment?"

At that, Mai whipped back around and stared at the two of us, wide eyed. She looked incredibly young in that moment. Thinking about it, in a way, she _was_ incredibly young. She had been especially so when Juro had married her (though, there was nothing wrong there. She hadn't been underage, and nothing had happened while she was-Gabe had made a covert point of randomly visiting the two of them when Mai had been staying with him while looking for her own home, often dragging me and Evalynn along, just to be sure. Even if he would never admit that had bene the real reason to anyone), but it had not been age so much as…well, this. This wide-eyed, fearful vulnerability. Yes, she loved him, but also, she _needed_ him. Now, more than ever, she needed him.

"It's okay," Juro reassured. "You can see me through the window? I won't be a minute."

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, Mai." I breezed.

Nonetheless, once we were outside, Mai watched us worriedly through that window. I wasn't sure how good her lipreading skills were, so I angled myself slightly so she couldn't see as I updated Juro quickly on the situation.

"So," I concluded. "You can go home for now."

"Are you sure? I don't want to not be pulling my weight?"

"Look, Juro, at the moment, I reckon getting Mai calm enough to be able to face the coming days is probably your best bet at the moment. She's cleared, right?"

"Technically, but not on her own."

"Exactly, there you go. Take your wife home, Juro. Make her dinner for a change and talk or…you know, _don't _talk."

I gave a cheeky grin, and waggled my eyebrows deliberately. Juro groaned and shook his head, but he couldn't fight the smile.

"Nobu-kun!"

"Look, no kids in the house, you may as well make full use of it."

"_Nobu-kun_!" Juro repeated in protest, though he was grinning and slightly blushing now. "Fine, okay! But if there is anything, call me, okay?"

"Of course."

I watched, for a moment, as Juro went back in, and Mai visibly relaxed and leaned into him for a reassuring embrace, before he helped her get up and gathered her things for her. I waved to them through the window as they came to the door, and then set off.

Perhaps in the end it would be best if Juro stepped aside. But we would just have to wait and see.

**…**

_Eizo_

"So, I don't know about you, but I'm ravenous." I said, trying to keep my tone bright. "How about we stop to get something on the way?"

Azami considered this for a moment, and then nodded cautiously. All things considered, she seemed okay after having her tracker removed and after being questioned, but I couldn't be too sure-she'd barely said anything when the detectives had let us go home for the night.

As we got into the car, I reached out to momentarily squeeze her hand, and she looked at me, wide-eyed, before tentatively squeezing back. Then, we settled into our seats, and I started to drive.

"What…what did they ask you about?" Azami asked after a few moments.

"Mostly about the trackers-did we have any idea about them, that kind of thing." I said. "They asked us about our ears hurting."

"They asked the same for me."

"What did you say?"

There was a long pause. Since the road was relatively clear, I snuck a quick look at her before returning my attention to the driving. Her lips were pursed and she was frowning.

"I mean, if you want to talk about it." I said hurriedly.

"The Electro-IDs. They asked about those again." Azami said, in almost a monotone.

"Oh." I scrambled. "They asked me the same, as well, after the trackers. I think they must think they would be connected in some way."

I had wracked my brains as to how this could be, and the best I could theorise was that it had been fingerprint technology of some sort, working in sync with the trackers in some way or another. New Hope's Peak was going to be using something fairly similar except _without_ trackers inside people. I had not divulged that when I had been interviewed, though. I had been veering into dangerous territory by mentioning Monobear anyway, and I wasn't sure of the line between helping them and making things worse for us. Hopefully I had managed to walk it. But how long would I be able to keep balancing?

"_So….there you have it." She sighed, closing her amber eyes for a moment. "That's how I killed Yuri. I trust that ties up any loose ends."_

"_Yes. I was fairly confident it was you." _

_Kimiko said this calmly, but it didn't really take a psychic to work out that she wasn't calm at all. I looked askance at Yuki, expecting him to yell at us or have a tantrum, or something. But instead, he was just clutching his toys and looking even more like a child than usual, all wide-eyed and lost. _

"_But what the hell, why?" Sen'ya burst out, breaking the silence. "She didn't do shit to you."_

_Once again, she closed her eyes. _

"_I know she didn't, because none of you did. But if it had been someone else in that workroom, they would have been the one to die instead. It was never about Yuri, specifically." _

"_But why?" Sen'ya repeated. _

"_Mmm." Teiichi murmured. "I don't understand it. You were always trying to keep us going."_

"_Oh, boohoo, I just want to know whyyyyyyyyyyyy. God, you guys are such bores!" Monobear complained, rolling around on his throne. "But fine, whatever. Just get it the fuck over with."_

_Her eyes opened, and she sighed heavily. _

"_I was tired. I've had enough of these tragedies. I know it might seem crazy to you, but I wanted it all to be over, and I didn't see another way. I tried, though."_

"_But you just caused another tragedy, though." Eikichi pointed out. "You had more than enough sense to see that, didn't you?"_

_The answer was a simple shrug, and another sigh. Looking at her, she really did seem tired. Pale under the tan, deep bags under the eyes, and an overall pervasive aura of sheer exhaustion. Just looking at her, I wanted to curl up as well. I looked to the stand on my right, empty like the one that was to the right of that, which I stared at next, imagining Fumiaki there, wondering what he would say to all this. Because surely, he would know something to say. Something to the point, that wouldn't fix this as such (because I knew there was no fixing it) but something that'd help, at least._

_The sudden sob that seemed to rip itself out from somewhere deep within Osamu put a stop to such thoughts. Fumiaki wasn't here. Katsuya, Kiran, Moeka, Akari, Yuri and Rin weren't here either. _

_And now, we'd be losing someone else. _

"I don't remember anything, anyway." Azami murmured absently. "I don't remember anything."

"Did you tell them that?" I asked, alert to any distress in her voice. "They shouldn't be questioning you so much anyway, under your circumstances. "

"Mmmmm."

Azami let out a sigh, and when I snuck a look at her again she was leaning her head against the window, staring out at the darkness. Her hair fell over her face slightly, and I wanted so badly to brush it back. But instead, I asked;

"So, what do you feel like eating?"

"I don't know. You decide."

"Alright then, erm…."

We continued driving, and I looked around. There were a few different restaurants and takeaway places on this street, but none caught my eye as such. But one of them was an American-style diner which also did takeaway orders, and I was convinced that we'd been to it before, twenty years ago. Or if not this one specifically, then one like it.

"_He's coming, he's coming!" _

_Sadie suddenly leaned around the booth seat and looked at the rest of us, eyes bright in excitement. _

"_Teiichi-kun's just sent me a message to say they're coming in from the station."_

"_Ooooh!" Yuki exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Does that mean cake time?"_

"_It does, but we need to wait for Kiran-chan to get here." Yuri reminded her brother, though she had a big smile on her face even as she said it, her light green eyes sparkling. _

_Yuki pouted impressively, but this was quickly forgotten as he watched the spectacle of the cake that Moeka and Kimiko had bought having the candles and other decorations being stuck in. Meanwhile, Akari and Azami got their cameras ready, and the rest of us waited on tenterhooks, getting into birthday mode everytime the entrance door rang, only to realise that it wasn't Teiichi and Kiran each time. _

"_Oh man," I whispered. "I really want to eat something."_

"_Same, man, same." Rin commiserated. "But hey, kiddo will be here soon, won't he?"_

_At that moment, the bell rang again as the door opened, and we all looked. I got onto my knees so I could peer over the booths, and sure enough, this time it was Teiichi and Kiran, both wrapped up, the latter dragging a suitcase that seemed much too bulky for him to carry. Teiichi noticed us and waved, then tapped Kiran, who looked up, and after a moment of confused blinking, beamed sunnily at us and waved, though he looked a little quizzical. _

"_Come on!" Katsuya yelled across the diner. "We're all waiting!"_

_Some of us cheered in confirmation, causing more than a few faces to look our way, startled but quickly becoming amused. Fumiaki elbowed me, but I just stuck my tongue out at him as I sat back down normally as Teiichi and Kiran approached. _

"_Alright," Moeka whispered. "One, two, three and…."_

"_HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRAN!" _

_We all yelled this in unison as Kiran approached, looking swamped underneath his winter clothing. Nonetheless, as he looked around at all of us, sitting in our booths expectantly waiting, he beamed. Teiichi nodded in greeting before going to sit in Sadie's booth, promptly getting on his knees and peering over to look at the cake. _

"_You guys really did this for me!" he exclaimed. _

"_Well of course we did!" Azami exclaimed. "It's practically a tradition now, since we've done it for everyone!"_

"_We'll be doing it for you guys too, naturally." Moeka said. "Though I'm guessing not in a diner?"_

"_Picnic!" Azami exclaimed, instantly. _

"_Let's think about that later," Akari said. "It's Nanakai-kun's day now." _

"_Quick, quick!" Yuki exclaimed. "Cut the cake so we can eat it! And I've got a pressie for you! Yuri has too, we made them!" _

"_Okay, okay," Kiran laughed sweetly. "Lemme just take my jacket off, 'kay?" _

"_I have a present for you too-how could I not, we're February babies after all, right, Jinsai!" Osamu laughed. _

_Takaaki, sitting in the opposite booth simply pulled a face and deadpanned:_

"_You are now one year older, congrats." _

_This made Kiran giggle as he finally managed to get his coat off and transformed from a walking igloo into the twig that he was. _

"_You need to come and sit over here," Yuri said, "Then you'll be able to cut the cake. Come, let's get out of the booth so he can squeeze in." _

_Yuri, Yuki and I all got out, let Kiran in, and then sat back down again, Yuri ending up next to Kiran. She opened her mouth to speak, then paused to blow at her honey-brown fringe in annoyance, before smiling again. _

"_Alright, do you want the song, or do you just want to blow out the candles?"_

"_Ah, I did all the singing at home-Inaya loved the singing, though I'm not sure she knew why she was singing. But!" Kiran said with another smile. "She's been going to the shops on her own, which Mum's pleased about."_

"_Oh, that's great!" Yuri exclaimed. "But alright then, just blow out the candles then."_

"_Make a wish, too!" Yuki exclaimed. _

"_Oh yeah, don't forget the wish!" Moeka exclaimed. "But don't tell us what it is."_

"_I know."_

_Kiran adopted a look of deep concentration, then stared at the cake and the 18 candles on it. He closed his eyes, then opened them again and looked around at us, before taking a deep breath and blowing. Most of the candles were blown out, but a few lingered. Kiran pouted at them, before taking another breath and blowing again. This time, the rest went out in one go. All of us clapped, and a few of us cheered, before Yuri picked up the cake knife that we'd borrowed from the diner's kitchen and decorated with a ribbon around the handle, and handed it to Kiran. He took a couple of moments to get the right grip on the knife, but he soon had it, and started to cut the cake. Moeka grabbed the paper plates and napkins and loaded slices as Kiran cut them with a great deal of concentration, and handed them out to everyone. _

"What about there?" I asked simply, indicating with my head since I still had to park.

"Sure." Azami shrugged, not giving any indication as to whether she had any familiarity with the place or not.

Once the car was parked, we crossed the road and went inside. There were a lot of people sitting around tables and in booths, but at the bar itself there were only a few people.

"Welcome! Are you eating in or taking away?"

The waitress-who looked like she was still in high school-beamed at us. I smiled back at her, hoping that her life would continue to be as happy as she herself seemed now.

"We're taking away, thanks."

"Alright, then please go that way and someone should be with you. There are menus on that rack over there if you can't see the ones on the boards up there. Have a nice evening!"

"Thanks, you too." I replied.

While we waited, we each read one of the menu cards. I decided that I would get some fried chicken and chips, while Azami opted for a simple hamburger. I also decided to treat us both to chocolate milkshakes, for no other reason than why not. I also looked around a little at the different customers. There were a good mix of ages and types, but a lot of them were groups of friends, skewing young and inevitably reminding me of myself, of Azami, of all of us.

"_Are you having a good birthday?" the waitress asked as she set down the tray of milkshakes. _

"_I am!" Kiran beamed happily as he finished unwrapping the present._

"_Oh, good. Let us know if you need anything!"_

_As she left, Kiran finally managed to undo the paper, and he lifted up the small plushie elephant, decorated Indian-style with bright colours and ornate beadwork. He grinned, and made its trunk 'boop' his nose, giggling, before smiling at Yuri. _

"_It's beautiful. Thank you!"_

"_Open mine next, open mine next!" Yuki chanted. _

"_Okay, okay!" _

Eventually, it was our turn, and I gave our orders, and then we sat on one of the stools to wait.

"Did we ever come here?" Azami asked, surprising me.

"I don't think here, specifically, but there's a few other places like it around Towa, so maybe one of those." I answered. "We had a lot of fun, like when it was Kiran's birthday. Though I think once Komiya and Hatakawayama started a chip fight with Yuki and some of the others, so we almost got kicked out one time. Not on the birthday though."

This produced a short laugh from Azami, who shook her head in amusement.

"Seriously? That does sound like them, though."

"Yep. They were always the ones who would usually be doing something silly. Ayuna and Jinsai too, for that matter. "

"And you?"

I looked at Azami, who had the hint of a smile on her face. I grinned back, and felt myself blush slightly.

"I'll let you decide that for yourself." I teased.

The smile widened. Only by a fraction, but it widened all the same. It was not that dazzling, billion-dollar smile of old, but it was a smile.

"That _definitely_ means yes."

"Like I said, I'll let you decide for yourself."

It was then that someone called for our order, so I quickly went to get it. When I came back though, Azami's smile had gone entirely, and she was staring out of the windows.

"Azami?"

"There's an old man wandering outside…" she pointed. "I think maybe he might be lost or…"

I looked to where she was pointing, and sure enough there was someone who seemed to be pacing somewhat aimlessly, looking frustrated, possibly muttering to himself.

"Let's go and check on him, then. We're on our way out anyway."

We left the busy restaurant and its happy customers, and headed out onto the street, making to approach the man. But we didn't even need to do that, as he abruptly turned and then bumped into us.

"Woah there, old man!" I said. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright, I'm sure I saw the-" the man broke off and shook his head. "Unless it wasn't, and they're sti-"

"Hold on a moment, have you lost someone?"

"Let go of me." The man said harshly, and then looked properly at the both of us and abruptly stopped.

He stared for a long time.

"Old man?"

For a moment, I didn't recognise him. But then, at the same time his suspicious frown was first replaced by shock and then an angry glare, the little niggles of familiarity I was starting to feel pulled themselves together.

"Moeka's dad?"

"What?" Azami asked quizzically. "You were outside. The apartments."

"And you didn't even recognise me." The man-no, Moeka's dad, Tetsuji-said with bitterness in his voice, his lip curling slightly.

"Well," I said, trying for diplomatic. "It has been twenty years since we would have last seen you."

"And you've just been getting on with your lives in the meantime, right?"

Still, that same thread of bitterness in his voice. I could hardly blame him-it was his daughter who had died, after all. I hesitated a moment, then smiled again as I replied.

"Trying to. Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Yes, actually. You can give me some answers. Especially _you_."

Tetsuji advanced a little closer, almost leaning into Azami, who stepped back a step, startling.

"M-me?"

"Yes, you. You're able to talk now."

"I mean…yes…." Azami stared at him, shoulders tensing.

"Then you can tell me what's going on? Did you come from the hospital?"

Quickly, I quietly angled myself so I was subtly shielding her. Tetsuji glared at me, but I stayed where I was. I wasn't having anyone have a go at her, not when she was still fragile. But, asides from that, I wondered how it was he had known that we were at the hospital. Did he still work for the police, or had he retired? But then, wouldn't we have seen him around before?

I remained firm though, and shook my head.

"Didn't the police tell you? I'm sure they would have? If not, you could always ask."

Tetsuji let out a laugh at that.

"Right, because that'll actually accomplish something, will it?"

"Um….." Azami just blinked at him.

"Why are you bandaged up like that?" Tetsuji asked suddenly, frowning at the bandages on our ears.

Azami opened her mouth, but I answered before she could.

"Again, I think you should, erm, really ask the police. We need to go. Come on, Azami."

Quickly, decisively, I indicated to Azami to follow me, and then set off across the road. I heard Tetsuji yell something-or attempt to, because it sounded rather raspy and easily swallowed up by the noises around us-but I didn't pay attention, until we got to the car and I heard:

"I'm talking to you!"

Both of us turned to see Tetsuji struggling across the road. I moved to help him, but he managed to get to the car well enough.

"I said, I'm talking to you. And to you!" Again, he focused on Azami. "Talk to me now. Tell me."

"I…." Azami said. "I can't…"

"You're talking to me now. So tell me." He almost spat. "Tell me what happened. "

"Leave her alone."

"Fine, then I'll ask you. Eizo. What happened?"

"At the hospital? Again, you'll have to ask the police."

"I'm asking you. Both of you." Tetsuji responded. "And I don't care whether it's about the hospital, or what actually happened. Actually, why don't we stick with that? Twenty years ago."

"I don't remember anything, though." Azami said quietly.

"Like hell you don't."

"I…I really don't. I'm sorry. Moeka-chan was my friend, and I'm sorry, but-"

"That sorry means nothing, when you won't even tell anyone what happened back then." Tetsuji spat. "Can you not even say who it was who killed her? You saw it, didn't you?"

Unbidden, I found myself nodding. In my head, I imagined levers and buttons and pulleys, and cruel, robotic laughter in the background. Moeka, asking us to forgive her.

"I can't…"

"Azami, it's okay." I soothed, before turning to Tetsuji. "We need to go now. Please, leave us alone."

"Not until I get an answer."

Tetsuji coughed suddenly, but once it had subsided, he squared himself up to me, getting as into my face as he could. He was too close, but it was better than it being Azami whose space he was getting into.

"_Hey, there's another knife here!" I said, pointing at it. _

"_Regardless," Kimiko said. "I do think that this one is most likely the cause of death. Though I'll give her a proper examination just in case. Moeka-chan, you will help me as usual? " _

"_Huh? What? Oh, uh, yeah, sure okay….." Moeka stuttered, clearly taken aback. _

_Kimiko gave her an odd look, then pointed to the knife that was still stuck in Akari's body to illustrate her point. I nodded and swallowed. _

"_There are footprints in the blood here and o-" Seiko paused. "Right, Azami-san stepped in it?"_

"_Oh goodness, I didn't even notice." Sadie said, worriedly from where she was sitting on the floor nearby with Azami, whom she, Friede and Yuri had somehow managed to get sitting down. Yuri, of course, was now trying to corral Yuki, but Sadie and Friede were still sitting either side of her, protective and worried. Sure enough, there were some rather blurry looking red footprints that stopped just in front of them, and I followed them with my gaze all the way back to Akari. I took a careful breath in, and a careful breath out. _

_There was a pause in the usual flurry as we all looked over at Azami, who had utterly transformed the moment her eyes had settled on Akari's dead body. She was still semi-rocking, but there was no indication that she had heard anything we had said. Her eyes looked completely blank. I hadn't realised eyes could look that blank. _

"_Is it real, I wonder?" Lilian mused. _

"_It's a rare, extreme reaction. But yes, it is real." Kimiko told her coolly. _

"_The issue right now is those blood-soaked shoes, if indeed they are." Eikichi interjected briskly. "We can't have her wandering around in a daze and potentially complicating the investigation."_

"_Yes, yes, sure. Azami-chan?" Sadie asked softly. "I need to take off your shoes. "_

_We all waited for a reaction. But there was none, none at all. Not even the vaguest flicker. Sadie's face creased, but she gently lifted Azami's foot and unlaced one pink sneaker, and then the other, before holding them up expectantly. Eikichi went over and took them, and carried them back to Kimiko. Then, he turned to us. _

"_We all know how this goes by now. Get cracking. Sadie-san, Heiwa-san, you can either look after Azami-san or come and join in." _

_I watched for a moment longer as after a moment of whispering to each other, Friede got up and went to help Osamu and Seiko, while Sadie gently pulled Azami up and steered her to somewhere away from the main action. A part of me wanted to follow them. A bigger part was too scared to. _

_So, after a long moment, I went over to join Kimiko and Moeka and see what they had found out. _

I stepped forward to open the car door, but Tetsuji shifted himself so that he was standing in front of it. I was starting to feel slightly light headed, and now my stomach was grumbling with a vengeance.

"Go around the other side." I whispered to Azami, indicating that she should go around to the other door.

"Eizo?"

Azami looked worried, but I nodded quickly at her, and she turned and almost ran around the back of the car and onto the pavement.

"Oh no you don-"

Tetsuji reached out to grab Azami, and just as quickly, I shot my hand out to stop his, and only to stop it. I tightened my grip enough to make sure he couldn't hurt me, but not enough to hurt him. I couldn't, after all. He was old, but he was still Moeka's dad.

"I'm really sorry, but we need to go. Please, leave us alone."

"Why can't you just tell me? Tell me who killed Moeka?"

"I…."

"You know, don't you?" he snarled, properly snarled. "You both know, and you're both hiding it. Some friends you were. Tell me, who killed her?"

"That…I…"

_Don't go accusing us, when it was Moeka that killed Akari, _I wanted to say to him. It wouldn't have been fair-he was her dad after all, but I needed him to stop. I just needed him to stop.

"What?"

Tetsuji stopped abruptly. He blinked, confused, and I stared back with just as much confusion. But when Azami let out a soft gasp, and I looked over the top of the car to see that she'd gone completely pale, her hands trembling as they came to cover her mouth, it hit me:

I had said it out loud.

* * *

**Characters introduced this chapter**

**Victims**

**Kiran Nanakai, former SHSL Museum Tour Guide (my OC)**

**Sayuri 'Yuri' Fujimoto, former SHSL Plushmaker (created by: Abitat Eco)**

**I've been playing around a little bit with names that I use in the narration where Ayuna is concerned. Obviously, in the present day she is Ayuna, and no two ways about that, but flashbacks are a little trickier. In previous chapters I still used 'Ayuna' and feminine pronouns anyway, but I wondered if that was consistent, considering I've been using 'Sadie' in flashbacks and 'Mai' in the present for Mai. So here I tried using 'Osamu' in flashbacks, so let me know if you think that works, or if I should just stick to what I was doing before. **


	16. What Now?

_Tetsuji_

_It was Moeka that killed Akari. _

_It was Moeka that killed Akari. _

_It was Moeka that killed Akari. _

For a long moment, that was all that I could hear. The boy's (well, he was not really a boy, but what did it matter, when Moeka would always just be a girl?) voice rang in my ears, the accusation repeating over and over again, taking on a slightly more malicious tone with each re-iteration.

How could it be true? How could my sunny, talented, amazing daughter have been a killer? She had died herself, she'd been a victim. But not just that. She'd been happy and beautiful, always with a smile on her face for anyone. I knew that back then, people would look at me and then at her and wonder how on earth we could be related, and it hadn't mattered, because she was related and she was wonderful. She would never, ever have hurt anyone, ever. So how could this have made any sense?

The answer was that it didn't. And so…

"You're lying!" I spat, wrenching myself away from his grip.

"N-no," Eizo stammered, suddenly looking a little sick. "I'm not lying….that is, I didn't mean to…"

"YOU'RE LYING. TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

"Kamiya-san, please…"

Hearing a random member of the public mutter something, I diverted my attention long enough to give them a dark glare, before I looked over at Azami, who'd managed to get away to hide, peering out at the both of us. She looked frightened and child-like, and I imagined that Moeka must surely have looked the same when whoever had killed her had come for her. My little girl, terrified, but nobody had come to defend her the way Eizo had Azami. She'd had no car to hide behind. And yet these two….these two…

"Didn't you care about her at all? Now you're just throwing her under the bus to save your own skins, when she can't defend herself?"

Azami only blinked at me, looking like a goddamn deer-in-the-headlights. I could hear shallow, fast breathing, and it sounded like it could be hers, but I pushed that knowledge to the side as I tried to assert myself as best as I could with a car in between us.

"Tell me. Tell me, or…."

What was I going to do? In truth, I didn't really know, but regardless, I needed to know the truth.

"Oi, oi, what's going on here?"

I whipped around, wincing at the twinge the sudden movement triggered in my leg, only to see, of all the people, Detective Evalynn Dupont, getting out of a car and approaching us.

"What are you doing, Kamiya? I hope you're not harassing our witnesses?"

"Don't be ridiculous." I snorted.

Evalynn frowned at me, then looked to Eizo and Azami.

"Amai? Kishinami?"

"He was asking us about his daughter. Became, erm, very insistent."

Eizo was the one who spoke up, sounding sheepish and a little wary as he did so. Azami didn't say a word, and continued staring.

"You're the one telling lies!" I said. "I just want you to tell the truth."

"Right, Kamiya, come back with me." Evalynn said with a sigh. "We can talk about it at the station."

"The station? Why? Aren't you going to arrest them?" I asked furiously, pointing to the two of them.

"Whoever said anything about arresting you, Kamiya?"

I blinked for a moment, simply staring at the detective, who returned the stare without blinking. Eventually, she spoke slowly:

"The Superintendent's told us about you. Don't make me have to arrest you."

_And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean? _I sighed heavily, which made me cough, before I decided to acquiesce. Suddenly, I felt spent, and I wanted to sleep. But that was something I would never do, not until I had answers.

"Fine. But you'll bring those two back in, won't you?" I asked as I followed her reluctantly.

"Yes, yes."

**…**

_Azami_

I wasn't sure how we ended up getting back to the apartment. I wasn't sure how I managed to get back up the stairs, or even how I ended up sitting down at the table, our meal shared out between us. But after Eizo pushed a cup of sugary water into my hands and made me drink it, sip by sip, I could feel myself settle again, feel as if I was once more a part of my body, and then I could ask.

"Was it true, what you said to him? About Akari…."

…_that Moeka-chan had killed her. _

Mid-bite, Eizo froze and blinked. He took a moment to swallow, then put his food down, and ran a hand through his hair.

"I didn't mean to say it like that, just without any warning." He murmured. "I was just…trying to get him to leave you alone."

I nibbled at my own food a little as I considered this.

"But, it's true?"

Eizo regarded me tremulously, then nodded, slowly.

"It is. I'm sorry, Azami."

I could not say anything for a long moment. I didn't know how I felt. It was a little piece of the puzzle, one other crucial thing that made the picture a little clearer for me. The fact that it was Moeka, of all people.

"_Oooh, what do you think of this one?"_

_Moeka pulled the sleeve of the kimono towards us, inviting us to inspect the pretty floral pattern that snaked across it, going from a light pink at the tip of the sleeves and ending darker at the shoulder. I exchanged a glance with Akari, who nodded, and then we both turned and beamed. _

"_It's good!" We both said. _

"_It's a bit fussy for summer," Akari added. "But it'd probably do great for New Year."_

"_Or even for the party, right?" I added. "I mean, presumably, going traditional for the clothes would fit." _

"_Probably, but if the theme is 'Modern Japan', then maybe not a proper kimono. Maybe one of those kimono dresses. But yeah, maybe?"_

"_It certainly would." Moeka grinned. "But whatever we wear, we'll look awesome, right?"_

"_Of course!" Akari and I said, in unison once again. _

Then again, I supposed, I wouldn't have expected the fun and goofy Katsuya, or even Eizo's sensible Fumiaki to have killed either. And whoever else had ended up succumbing…well, really, at the end of the day, there wasn't anyone that I could have imagined in such a situation. What difference did it make that Akari had been Moeka's victim, as opposed to any of the others? What difference?

"What happened? Why did she….?"

"Azami…"

Eizo's face was creased in worry, and I was touched that it was, but at the same time, somehow, it felt too late for that.

"Please, tell me." I said. "I need to know."

Eizo nodded at that, closing his eyes for a moment. Then, he reached out, and held my hand, and began to speak.

"Do you remember one of the motives, where some of us woke up, or went somewhere, or whatever, and found those pieces of paper in their pockets with their names and a threat on them?"

I frowned.

"_Oi, what the actual fuck is this?!"_

_Sen'ya came storming in, waving a piece of paper around above his head furiously. I could just about see the kanji of his name on one side, and a sentence of print on the other. _

"_What are you on about?" Eikichi asked immediately. "What is that?"_

_Sen'ya glared. _

"_You telling me that I'm the only fucking one who got a threat to my mother tucked into my trouser pockets at some time last night?"_

"_A what?" Moeka gasped. _

"_Did you lock your room?" Eikichi asked. _

"_Of course I fucking locked my room! But those locks are fucking jammy as I keep telling you!"_

"_Alright, enough." Seiko stood up suddenly. "Arguing is not going to get us anywhere. May I see that, Ochiai?"_

"_Sure, knock yourself out."_

_Sen'ya shoved the note at Seiko, as if he couldn't be rid of it fast enough. Seiko frowned at it, and turning it over and over, before sighing. _

"_What does it say?" Eikichi demanded. _

_Seiko opened her mouth to answer, but all of a sudden the door opened, and Teiichi rushed in, breathless and panicked. He paused for a moment, going slightly red under all our gazes, before bending over to catch his breath, then straightening, and digging in his pocket to hold up a note. One with his name on one side, and a sentence on the other side. _

"_I….Sarang." he said, referring to his girlfriend from back home, who was half-Korean like him. "It says I have to kill someone…or Sarang will die…."_

"I remember. I…didn't get one?"

"You might have, but you didn't find it. There were a few who didn't seem to have theirs. But, I guess it goes without saying that Moeka had one, threatening her mother and father. And perhaps she could have ignored one implied threat, but the other…."

"But how did she manage to get Akari alone?" I asked. "Once people started dying, she…."

_She tried to keep me safe. _

Eizo shook his head helplessly.

"I don't know. What I do know that in her pocket, she had a note too?"

"About our mum and dad?" I asked, all the while trying to remember if Akari had ever shown me a note. Tried as I might, I came up blank.

"No…" Eizo shook his head, sorrowfully.

"Then…."

There was a silence. Eizo averted his gaze, and squeezed my hand. I stared at him, waiting for him to answer. But he didn't, and the time felt like it stretched on for a long time.

_Akari tried to keep me safe. _And just like that, I realised it.

"No." I breathed.

"Yes." Eizo whispered, realising I had figured it out. "That's right…"

"So she…she died because…."

I stood up, my hands fluttering, my heart beating. _I was on her note, which means that….which means that…._

"She died because of me?"

"No!" Eizo gasped. "No, Azami, that isn't…."

"I was on her note!" I cried out. "And she was out because of that, and Moeka-chan was out because of hers, and if she hadn't been out, then she wouldn't have died. It's me. It's my f-f…my f-fa…"

"No, Azami."

Eizo pushed back his chair, rushed around, and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me right to him. I struggled a moment, tried to resist, but I didn't really know why and so soon I gave in, sagging and letting him hold me as I completely and utterly fell to pieces.

_It was my fault that she died. My fault. It should have been me, instead, it should have._

"Azami, Azami." Eizo soothed, stroking my hair, slightly rocking in a way that was oddly calming, even if I didn't deserve it. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm sorry, too. Oh god, I'm so sorry."

It felt like I was crying for an eternity, but eventually my tears ran out, and I was swept over with exhaustion, and I needed to breathe. I tried to pull away, but my legs went wobbly, and Eizo directed me back to my chair, before shoving a napkin at me. I wiped my face as he came to kneel down beside me.

Scrunching up the napkin, I looked at Eizo, who was regarding me carefully, worry so clear on his face. I wanted so badly to be held by him again. Every time he'd touched me since we'd met again, no matter how casually, had always been warm, and consoling. Comforting. I wanted more of it, to just be swept up in it and forget for a moment that I was who I was. It was not as if he was a stranger, not really. We'd had a romance before, no matter how youthful it had been. If I skewed it right, the possibility of being with him like that, right now, felt just like an extension of that to my damaged heart.

But I was not so damaged to know that was just my old patterns of behaviour talking, the attempts at assuaging the loneliness that I had undertaken in my early twenties emerging again. I knew now that it had been unhealthy then, and it'd still be unhealthy now. And maybe that was all I was capable of, in the end, but maybe I didn't deserve that much.

But I knew for sure that Eizo deserved more than that. _Much_, much more.

"You alright now?" he asked, softly, brushing a stray strand of my hair.

I held back the shiver that simple action produced, and simply nodded. Eizo sighed.

"I'm sorry, Azami. I didn't mean for it to come out like this."

"It doesn't matter, now." I said, stiffly. "I….I think I need to go to bed now."

"Oh! You don't want to eat anything else?"

"No, I just need to sleep."

Not that I would sleep. But what else could I do, feeling like this? Eizo nodded, and got up, and started to clear up what was left on the table.

"Alright then, we can have the rest for tomorrow. Try and rest, alright?" he asked.

I simply nodded, and with what felt like monumental effort, I walked away.

**…**

_Akio_

I was lying in bed when I heard the door open, and whispers floated up the stairs as the door locked again. Dad, soothing and reassuring, and the occasional comment from Mum, hesitant and worried. But what the words were, I couldn't tell. I lay there for a few more moments, and then hesitantly got up, put my glasses back on, and slowly, carefully, padded down the stairs.

"Mum? Dad?" I whispered.

They had just been heading into the kitchen, but when I whispered, they paused and turned around.

"Akio?" my dad asked a little sharply. "You're still awake?"

I shook my head, quickly.

"No."

I decided not to mention that I hadn't been able to get to sleep, and came down the rest of the way. To my surprise, Mum gathered me up in a furious hug, squashing my glasses slightly. When she let go, and I surveyed her, noticing that she seemed tired, her eyes slightly red as if she'd been crying, and that there was some sort of dressing on her ear.

"Mum! Did you get hurt?"

I was expecting a smile and a reassurance, some vague answer about it being 'nothing', or even that 'it didn't hurt anymore now I've seen you', or something like that. Even a dismissive 'it's not anything for you to worry about' would have been better than the wide-eyed fear that appeared on her face, as she turned to Dad, looking up at him beseechingly. He sighed, and put a hand on her head.

"I'll bring a drink up to you-no, actually, Akio, can you make a green tea for the both of us? I'll talk to you later." He ordered.

This tone, too, was unusual. I opened my mouth to protest, but Dad took off his own glasses and rubbed his eyes for a moment, so I closed it again, and meekly nodded. As I headed into the kitchen, I heard Dad say:

"No, for now I told him to stay, he's old enough to at least know a little bit of what is happe-no, of course I won't tell everythi…"

I made a point of focusing on making the cups of tea, even finding a tray to carry them up in. The mundane domestic rhythm was mildly soothing, but not enough to make me forget the events of today. It was with held breath that I took up the two cups, with hesitation that I put it down to knock on their closed door when I got back upstairs.

Dad opened the door, half-undressed, blinking for a moment until he saw the tea.

"Go back down." He sighed, taking the tray. "Thanks for this."

"Thank you, Akio." Mum said softly from somewhere in the bedroom.

"It's okay," I replied automatically. "Goodnight, Mum."

Once again, I headed downstairs and into the kitchen, and sat down at one of the chairs, waiting. Idly, I traced patterns on the table surface with my fingers, over and over, only stopping to get a glass of milk, and then starting again. Eventually, after what felt like an age, Dad came downstairs and sat in the chair facing mine. At first, though without really knowing why, I didn't look up.

"Have you been alright here tonight?" he asked after a pause.

"I guess," I shrugged. "It was a bit quiet though, when Sachi isn't chattering and following you around."

Dad laughed, a sound which had a creaky sensation to it, as if laughter was something that hadn't been used. I looked up then, noticing that my Dad seemed older than when I had seen him this morning.

"You'd certainly be right about that. Though…." Dad blew out a breath. "I think it'd be better for us all if you went and stayed with one of your schoolfriends for a little while, while the investigation is ongoing. Your mother is finding it hard to cope with, and it's better that she doesn't have to worry about you."

"But…she wouldn't need to, though. Worry, that is. I can look after myself."

I paused and considered this a moment, before adding:

"More or less."

Again, this made Dad laugh in the same dis-used way. I had to fight to stop myself shivering.

"Again, you'd be right, but you know what your mother is like. Always happiest looking after us. But this is going to be a hard time for her, and I want it to be as easy as possible."

"I….sure. But she didn't get hurt, did she?" I asked.

"What? Oh, no, no. It was just a minor procedure, that's all. We haven't been given the go-ahead to be public about it, and there are still things we're working out about it…"

Dad trailed off, and I wanted to ask him what any of that meant, because I couldn't understand what, exactly, a minor surgical procedure could have in common with an investigation into twenty-year-old deaths and disappearances.

"Anyway, we'll be out early tomorrow as well, so you'll need to start finding a place to stay then-do you have anyone? Or would you like me to help?" Dad asked, again sounding unusually brisk.

I shook my head, and tried to smile myself.

"It's alright, really, Dad. Worry about Mum and your job."

This, apparently, was the right thing to say, because Dad's shoulders relaxed visibly, and his frown loosened. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and got up.

"Get back into bed soon, alright?"

"Okay. Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight."

Dad sloped out of the kitchen, and I finished off my milk, then went to wash the glass. Standing at the sink, I realised that I hadn't asked about the tour of New Hope's Peak. I supposed it wouldn't matter, either way. It'd keep me out of the house as Dad (and Mum?) wanted, and a part of me was looking forward to it too. Besides, it was probably best that I didn't ask anyway.

I didn't want to give them something else to worry about.

**…**

_Otsuka_

I was up bright and early, and the first thing I did was check my phone. There were a few texts from various people, but not a single one was the one that I had been hoping for. _Ugh, _I thought with irritation, _come on, seriously? _I knew he had seen it-the indicator on the messages had two blue ticks for read, but for there to be no reply. The best I could hope was that he himself was trying to figure it out, or that he'd been tuckered out by his efforts. He was sixty, after all.

_Hey_, I typed. _Once you find out what you can, just drop me a message or voicemail._ _I'm gonna be at the tour so might not answer unless it's am emergency. _Once that was sent, I went to the forums to type a cheery message to the 'crew' about meeting for the tour, and then set about cleaning up, shoving a couple of bits of toast into my mouth, then getting changed and doing my hair.

I grabbed my bag and my phone, and surveyed my appearance carefully in my bedroom mirror. I tucked a stray strand of hair back behind my ear, and looked for my best boots, then surveyed again. Satisfied with the effect, I grinned at my reflection, and then set off to start the day.

* * *

**I created a server yesterday for both this fic and_ And So It Begins_. I'll pop the link on my profile if anyone is interested! Anyway, as always, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and leave feedback if you want/can!**


	17. Team Formation, part 1

**And so, the ponce of OGR finally arrives :)**

* * *

_Akemi_

With a sigh, once I reached the front gate of New Hope's Peak, I did not go straight in, as I would have liked to do, but instead leaned against a wall, and dug in my bag for my camcorder. Despite myself, I had to think the best of this. I was lucky that this wasn't a big production, with my parents and cameramen everywhere, following my every step. I was lucky that New Hope's Peak had explicitly stated that this was meant to be a private tour, for the soon-to-be students and their families only. I was lucky that I had persuaded my parents that it would be a lot better if I went on my own rather than with them, as a solo video would be more 'lucrative' (a word I had used to appeal to them, specifically).

I was lucky, and thus I had to get on with it.

I patted my hair discreetly, making sure there were not any stray strands, smoothed down my turquoise skirt, and adjusted my off-the-shoulder top before lifting the camera to face me, and turning it on.

"Good morning, it's Akemi Koizumi here, standing outside the building of New Hope's Peak."

I narrated, sweeping the camera over the entrance momentarily before returning it to my face, making sure that I was still smiling.

"I'm just about to go inside so I can register my presence for the new students' tour-very exciting! Unfortunately for privacy reasons I can't film while I am inside, which is a shame, as I know you would have all loved to see it."

I became aware of a presence approaching, and for a moment, I panicked, worrying it was Akio. I didn't want him to see me like this, little more than a perfect performing puppet. Which was stupid, as that was how everyone knew me, before they even got to know me (if they ever did). But still, Akio had approached me wanting to be my friend, and already he had confided a fear to me. Would this side of me not be a let-down? Of course, I could not show this, so I subtly breathed in, and then continued.

"But, there isn't anything for you to worry about, as later on I will be making a video about what I saw. I'll also be leaving a link in the description box for any questions any of you might have, and I will be answering those in that video too, so that will be something to look forward to! For now, it looks like some of the other students are arriving-I wonder how they feel?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that this presence was, thankfully, not Akio. Instead it was a pale-complexioned, blue haired boy with a carefully handsome appearance and an easy smile as he scrutinised me quite openly, almost ogling. I could tell that he recognised me, and was indeed wondering if he would end up in my video. I sighed, and subtly gestured using my free hand that he should come closer, and then gave him a moment to eagerly grin and nod in assent, adjust his striped purple-and-black tie and the brooch pinned to it, and then lope over.

Turning my camcorder so it'd capture him as well, I called out to him in greeting:

"Hello there! I'm Akemi Koizumi, it's nice to meet you. Are you here for the tour as well?"

The boy smiled, somewhat flirtily, and reached to shake my hand.

"Charmed I'm sure, I mean who wouldn't be, when in my presence." He gave a self-depreciating chuckle. "And yes, lovely, I am here for the tour. Name's Mitsuhide Okita, SHSL Audiobook Narrator. You've probably heard of my work, Velvet King, no need to be surprised, that's a usual occurrence."

I wasn't sure that I was surprised, exactly. Not by who he was, or anything. I had to admit he certainly had quite the voice for narrating-even his words now sounded like they were narrating. Better than me? I hoped so, despite everything.

"Well, Okita-kun, it's very nice to meet you, especially as we'll be attending the same school. Who knows," I asked both him and the camera audience. "We might even be classmates."

"That would make me an extremely lucky man." Mitsuhide said flatteringly.

"That's very kind of you," I said, simply, before quickly wrapping up and, with an internal sigh of relief, shoving the camcorder deep into my bag where I could forget about it, and quickly putting my hands in my pocket.

"Shall we go inside and sign in now?" I asked.

Mitsuhide smiled and winked at me.

"Why of course, Koizumi-chan! Ladies first, as always." He said dramatically, gesturing for me to go ahead.

I obliged, and we went through the gates, and then the open glass double-doors, and then stood in line with a few others. One or two were with a guardian of some kind but a couple on their own. Neither of those ones were our group members though, I noted with a sigh. I didn't want to look like I was too longingly waiting for someone, or anything that would make me seem…well, like me.

When we reached the front of the queue, though Mitsuhide pulled the 'ladies first' line out again, this time I politely insisted he went first, and then carefully watched as he tapped his name and details into the sign-in tablet-a glossy looking black device on a plinth-then stepped back to let it take a photograph. Moments later, a small card came out of a tiny device on the receptionists' desk, at which point the receptionist actually sitting there turned momentarily from the parent or guardian they were talking to so they could direct Mitsuhide to pick it up, and then pointed them to a small glass cabinet of lanyards that was above the sign-in tablet, which had now opened. All of them were blue, and had the word 'visitor' printed all along its length multiple times. Mitsuhide pulled one out, slotted his card into the blank card holder, and then draped the lanyard around his neck.

"Hmm, the colour complements, but this doesn't quite go with my look." He mused. "It's a shame, that."

"I presume it's for our safety though-probably when we're students we'll have a different colour lanyard for our cards when we sign in. Is that right?"

I directed this question to the receptionist as I started my own sign-in process.

"Oh, yes, that's right! We're still fine-tuning things but you'll hear all about that on the tour!"

Quickly finishing my process, I got a lanyard of my own, closed the cabinet, and then slipped my card into the card holder and put the lanyard around my neck, adjusting it so it hung properly and the card clearly showed my name, photo, sign-in time and visit purpose. Just at that moment, a few more people walked in, and again, while some were strangers, the final boy was Akio, and my heart skipped a beat. His face lit up when he laid eyes on me, and he seemed to have a spring in his step as he bounded over.

"Hi, Koizumi-sempai!" he greeted. "How are you?"

"I'm alright, thanks," I replied. "But what about you."

Akio sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, before shrugging, and then giving me a sheepish smile.

"We'll see." He said simply. "How do we sign in?"

"Oh, I'll show you!"

"Oh my, aren't you going to introduce me?" Mitsuhide asked, just a note of hurt in his voice, though he was still smiling as he said it, and tilting his head slightly flirtatiously.

"Oh, I think I recognise you from somewhere…." Akio said, frowning thoughtfully. "Not your face but….give me a moment, it'll come back to me. But in the meantime, I'm Akio Arisato, the SHSL Lucky Student. Well, soon-to-be, anyway."

"Have you ever heard any of the Velvet King's work? I would be extremely surprised if you had not, you certainly do seem like the type to listen to audiobooks. But in any case, it would be rude of me to not properly introduce myself, so to you I am Mitsuhide Okita, the SHSL Audiobook Narrator."

"Ahhh, that explains it. My little sister listens to a lot of audiobooks and sometimes I listen with her."

"Oho, could your little sister be a fan? Maybe I'll get to meet her one day-I could take her out to lunch or something?"

"I mean, she's _nine_, so if you're into burgers and ridiculously ice-cream-topped milkshakes, then I'm sure she'd love it." Akio laughed hesitantly.

At this, Mitsuhide looked a little sheepish, suddenly taking great interest in fiddling with his hair again while I quickly showed Akio how to sign in. Once we'd got his lanyard for him, the three of us went over to the side, where other signed in visitors were waiting for the tour to start.

"So then, how do two know each other?" Mitsuhide asked. "The two of you seem so very comfortable with each other."

"We currently attend the same school, although in truth, with me being in the year above, our paths have not crossed so often." I answered.

"Though I think that'll change now!" Akio added with a warm smile.

"Oh my, you could've fooled me, I would have pegged the two of you as interested in each other at the very least."

Mitsuhide said this so smoothly that I was not 100% convinced he 100% meant it. Nonetheless, I had to fight hard to avoid the blushes that threatened to colour my cheeks. Akio also looked mildly confused, before he laughed and rubbed his head.

"Oh no, nothing like that. I don't even like people that way!"

"Really?" Mitsuhide asked, gawping at Akio. "Really?"

"Yeah, really."

_Oh. _

Why was I so disappointed to hear that? Well, I could probably figure it out, but even so, it was so inexplicable to me, this feeling. I didn't think that I'd even get a chance to have such feelings, even if they were new and tentative and nowhere near serious considering we hadn't known each other for long. But all the same. _Oh. _

"Huh, well that I wasn't expecting." Mitsuhide continued, apparently no longer baffled. "But man, you're missing out, you know?"

"Pfft, like you'd know?"

This came from a pretty redhead bursting through the doors and straight to us, accompanied by a jangling sound I quickly realised was coming from her headband. This, I knew, was Rieka Amasaki, the one who had proposed our little group in the first place.

Mitsuhide yelled and jumped dramatically, and then quickly recovered himself, smoothing his clothes and getting ready to attempt to charm her. But then, abruptly, his eyes widened in horror, and he became still.

"Oh god, what are _you_ doing here?"

**…**

_Mitsuhide_

In response to my question, Rieka simply gave me a smug smirk. I had to admit, it was a fairly stupid question on a lot of counts, but there was no way I was going to admit it, especially not to her.

"Um, you're the one who decided to join me? Or are you too busy preening in a mirror and practising your best insomniac-cure impression?" she asked.

"Oh please, I don't need to preen, I already know I look good." I said, resisting the urge to tap my foot in frustration. "Besides, I am so much more than this handsome face, don't you know?"

"Sure, sure, whatever makes you feel better about yourself. In any case, I'm going to sign in and then we can talk properly."

Rieka strode off to do just that, her bells jingling and red and white skirt seeming to balloon around her as she moved. It was quite a carefree, bubbly image, but of course, I would not be fooled by that. I quickly turned away, making a point of not looking at her, and instead turning to Akio and Akemi, who were looking more than a bit bemused.

"So then," I said, attempting to recover some sense of my pride. "This is terribly exciting, isn't it? I wonder when the others will get here?"

"Ah, I've been messaging with Benbow-kun, he should be here soon?" Akio exclaimed.

"You have?" I asked curiously. "How come?"

Akio just shrugged at this, and now Akemi gave him a curious look, before it very quickly disappeared, replaced by the same neutral, placid smile she had been wearing most of the time. Maintaining an image-I recognised such an aim when I saw it, but that did not damn her in my eyes. Far from it-it clearly meant that unlike certain people, she concentrated on what was important and refused to bow down to petty things. I gave her my best charming smile, and she gave me a charming smile back, and I had to resist the urge to blush at it. I did not blush, I was not so easily flustered.

_Yes, well, that girl kinda proved that wrong, didn't she?_ A snide little voice said in the back of my head, which I quickly clamped down on. I was NOT going to let that uptight, petty, full-of-herself Rieka get the better of me, and prevent me from being a part of this. I was not.

"Ah, Benbow-kun, we're over here!"

Akio said loudly all of a sudden, jerking me out of what would have quickly become a bit of a pity-party (which, props to him, I guess?). He lifted a hand to wave, but then paused and rapidly put it down, his face clearly signalling that he had realised his stupidity, which I didn't understand until I realised that the person he had been talking to was a dark-red-haired boy with a green hooded cardigan that, funnily enough, was a similar shade to the short-sleeved button-down checkered shirt that Akio was wearing. Considering this other boy was using a white cane, I suspected this was a coincidence, but it was a funny one-clearly they'd hit it off, whatever they'd been talking about online.

"Does he not need to sign in first?" I asked.

"Oh, oh yeah." Akio blinked, laughing sheepishly.

"I'll go and help him." Akemi offered quickly, going off to do just that.

That left Akio and myself just waiting there, looking at each other. Now, I was not someone who was lost for words, but at that moment, I couldn't think of anything particular to say. Eventually (and thankfully), it was Akio who took it upon himself to prevent the moment stretching out into awkwardness with a smile and a question.

"This is kind of exciting, huh?"

"Oh yes, it is very exciting!" I agreed. "I mean, back in the day, Hope's Peak was the place to go if you wanted to be guaranteed success, and since it was so very exclusive, it had to mean that whoever went there was truly special. I honestly thought though that it was part of a bygone age though, it's quite amazing that we are here now."

"Mhm, I suppose so." Akio said thoughtfully. "I guess this makes you and the others truly special now, as well?"

"Well, of course." I said, perking up. "I would never be ordinary in any case, but this is truly an opportunity for me to stretch my wings, so to speak, and show everyone that I can live up to my potential, and possibly surpass it."

Akio laughed awkwardly.

"Well, I'm not sure that applies to me, necessarily."

"Oh?" I asked curiously. "How so?"

"Well, I mean, even back then, Lucky Student didn't really mean anything, did it?" Akio shrugged.

"Oh, that's true." I said. "However, you were still the one selected of all the others that could have been, so that has to mean something, doesn't it?"

Akio frowned for a moment, tapping his fingers against his chin absently for a moment, but then he smiled sunnily. There was a part of me that could see why someone like Akemi would like to hang around with him-ordinary as he looked with his curly hair and glasses, there was something warm about him, in the openness of his gold eyes, the easiness of the smile which he gave, the relaxed mannerisms. It really was a shame he wasn't interested in romance, even if that did mean less competition for me.

"I suppose you're right, Okita-kun."

"Oh, what's he right about?" Rieka asked, bounding back again, fiddling with her blue lanyard as she did so.

Akio smiled at her, and quickly summed up our conversation for her. Rieka tilted her head to the side and frowned prettily, before nodding.

"I'd be inclined to agree, because I'm sure you're worth a lot more than this stuffy, pompous git who thinks his voice is all that."

"Excuse me?" I said, enraged. "You're the one who spouts off about things nobody wants to hear about, just for the money. I really don't understand why you were invited to this school."

"The same could be said for you. I for one, have a certain class, if you will~" she said, lifting her chin up slightly and looking down her nose at me. "Even if I have to admit that you have a point, in that my talent is based on rage and rants at times. However, I've taken this opportunity to broaden my horizons, so don't think I'll turn down future opportunities."

"How funny, because that's why I am here, too. Looks like we have more in common than we thought."

Oh, now, saying _that_ was more than worth the satisfaction of seeing Rieka's nostrils flare, but it was short lived as she soon geared up for a response-which was also short lived, as Akemi and Akagi arrived back at that time, the blind boy wearing a lanyard of his own.

"I know that technically, we all know each other to certain extents, but perhaps it would be nice if we all formally introduced ourselves to each other?" Akemi suggested. "Perhaps you'd like to start, Okita-kun?"

I had no idea why she had picked me, but I straightened up, immediately feeling better about myself. There was no sense in getting het up over the likes of Rieka, when I was in the company of none other than Akemi Koizumi.

"Oh, no, no, ladies first, I do insist. But thank you very much, Koizumi-chan!"

We spent a few moments introducing ourselves, and then stared at each other, a cloud of awkwardness settling over us all.

"So, there's just one more of us left to arrive, isn't there?" Akio asked eventually.

"Yes, yes, that's right." Rieka agreed. "I honestly expected her to arrive earlier, but…"

"I'm here."

"AAAAH!"

And so, for the second time this morning, I was scared out of my skin. It was only a slight consolation that some of the others were startled as well, but only slight, because I had been the only one to scream. Again. But the girl who had caused this furore did not seem slightly bothered by any of this. Indeed, she seemed almost pleased with herself.

"You have extremely quiet footsteps." Akagi observed. "Because of the chatter around, I couldn't hear you at all."

Her smile broadened wider, seeming almost shark-toothed. I resisted the urge to shiver, or pull a face, since I had a horrible feeling that she was like Rieka. _As if one Rieka isn't enough…_

"I'm pleased to hear that." She said in his direction. "But anyway, Otsuka Jihara, at your service. Don't worry, I know who you all are anyway."

"Well, I'd hope so, anyway." Rieka huffed.

Otsuka pursed her lips, but whatever she was going to say was interrupted once again by an announcement blaring over the tannoy.

"Attention please, students and parents. We will shortly be bringing out staff to escort you to the hall where you'll be hearing a talk by the principal. Please begin to line up by the main door, and either turn your phones off or leave them on silent. Thank you."

We did just that, and sure enough, the main doors were soon opened by two burly security guards, wearing red lanyards, and behind them were a small group of adults wearing green lanyards. We were then escorted into a hall with lots of chairs laid out. It really did look like any other school ahll, if a little plain and somewhat incomplete in appearance. The principal, Kyosuke Munakata, was already standing at a podium on the stage, exchanging words with a blond man with a blue lanyard, who then hopped off the podium, and weaved through the students and parents, clearly leaving. As he passed us, both Otsuka and Akio almost immediately sat up, and stared after him, as if wanting to go after him, but he was gone very quickly. Otsuka muttered something under her breath, and Akio looked crestfallen, but both settled down again.

"Hey, what was that about?"

"That was Eizo Amai," Akemi explained. "He's in the security business these days, so I assume he must have been doing some things for the school."

I was just about to ask who Eizo Amai was, when suddenly I remembered, and promptly pursed my lips. I was very glad I hadn't revealed my momentary lapse in memory to Rieka-she'd have ripped me to shreds.

"Oh, that's quite interesting."

"It is, but it's a shame he's gone and the talk is about to start, or I would have tried to interview him." Otsuka grumbled.

"Alright then, good morning, everyone."

Right on cue, Munakata began to speak into his microphone, and the hall fell quiet.

"It's wonderful to see you all here today. We are still at very early stages, and of course there are things that are at sensitive stages at the moment. But re-opening Hope's Peak has been a dream of mine for a very long time…"

And so he went on. It was interesting, in its way, but for the most part I half-tuned out, just absorbing the information and sort of daydreaming while observing my new…well, whatever we were. Classmates-to-be, I supposed. Eventually though, we were informed about the schedule of the day, and finally we were allowed to get up, and we were grouped.

**…**

_Rieka_

If it wasn't for the fact that we weren't allowed to film or take photographs in the school for 'safety reasons' (whether this was something they believed in, or just lip service to appease those worried about twenty years ago, remained to be seen) I would have had my phone out, filming everything we walked past so that we could all pore over it later, looking for some clues or others. Instead, I took the old-fashioned tack of writing things down on pen and paper. Otsuka did the same, as did a few parents-no doubt the annoying helicopter type, judging by their demeanours. Whatever, they didn't interest me.

We were shown the canteen where we would be eating lunch, which was actually quite snazzy, and had two separate sections for students with cookery based Talents (or, for that matter, talents) to be able to practise. Food economics lessons would also take place in this area, according to our preppy guide. We were also shown the large music room and dance studio, both of which had been fully completed. I caught Mitsuhide admiring himself in one of the dance studio mirrors as we were shown around the space, and I rolled my eyes heavily. Honestly, that boy. I hoped it would be worth me resisting the urge to tell him that actually, no, I didn't need someone like him 'helping' me solve a mystery.

As we left, I caught Otsuka's eye, and she pulled a face at me.

"Bit of a preener, that one, isn't he?"

"Oh, _tell _me about it."

As we moved on to be shown a recreation room-one of the only ones which were currently complete and furnished to boot-I gave her a look as she continued to make notes on the layout of the room, and the things in it. It was a nice room, and for a moment, I imagined myself sprawled over one of the pink beanbags, with Mitsuhide sitting self-importantly on one of the round leather-covered stool things, Akio perhaps sitting more cautiously on a beanbag next to me, with Akagi and Akemi near him, and Otsuka having pulled over a normal chair from one of the tables to join us, pulling a conspiratorial face at me while the others laughed and Mitsuhide looked put out (even as he laughed too).

_Wait, what? What? I don't even like those two!_

"Erm, are you alright, Amasaki-san?"

I blinked to see that Akio was facing me, looking ever so slightly concerned. I could do nothing to stop the blushing, but I tried to wave it away with a laugh and dismissive hand gesture."

"Oh, sure, I'm fine! Isn't this very state-of-the-art, especially those screens?" I asked, gesturing to the screens mounted on the wall.

This comment was apparently overheard by the tour guide, who went on about the various uses that the screen would have, including apparently allowing the room to be used as a makeshift clubroom or meeting room. Then, we were shown a doorway which would lead to an outdoors swimming pool, and taken up the stairs to see the library, and an example of one of the generic classrooms, and a couple of 'free study rooms', one of which apparently Kyosuke Munakata used while on site, until the principal's offices were properly built on the third floor, which was where the general staff areas were also going to be. We were able to go to the second floor to see the media room-for people who worked in fields relating to TV, movies, music and other similar things and a club room, but the rest of the floor was incomplete, with some areas off-bounds, as was the top floor. Naturally, this meant we couldn't see the school roof, but we were told it would be a place that students could come to eat and relax, with small gardens to be planted there and protective fencing around the edges to keep it safe.

_Huh, they really are putting a lot into this. Either Kyosuke Munakata genuinely believes in Hope's Peak, or he is trying to cover up whatever their involvement was in twenty years ago. _It wasn't completely out of the bounds of the possibility, though he had only just graduated when it all happened. But he had sounded so dreadfully earnest during the speech, when he'd talked about it being his lifelong dream, and making up for mistakes. Either way, I would be finding out the truth, so I guess I'd have to table my judgement for now and see.

Easier said than done, but never let it be said that I never tried anything!

Once we were shown all we could of the main building, our group was taken through a back door and across a courtyard, to where the gym and various indoors sports courts, including a space for archery, which Akagi seemed transfixed with, feeling out the space with his footsteps and his walking stick, handling a bow and arrow, though he did not aim it at a target, despite some encouraging, most prominently from Akemi. Which come to think of it, was strange, considering the last episode of _Akemi Tries It_. Then again, Akagi seemed pleased that she had encouraged him, if the fact that after that he smiled and blushed slightly whenever his head turned in her direction-which was whenever she spoke-was anything to go by. We didn't get to go to the outdoor courts though, or the changing rooms, because those weren't yet fully built.

Finally, we were taken to the dorm building, which was more or less almost ready in terms of building safety, just a little sparse, with security and other things needing fitting in too. The tour guide had some pictures of what the bedrooms would look like before being inhabited, and rambled a little more, and then took us back to the canteen.

"Ourselves and Principal Munakata will be around for the rest of the afternoon if you have any particular questions before you leave. Enjoy the rest of your day!"

We all waved and thanked the tour guide, and then the helicopter parents and their kids promptly trotted straight off to Munakata, while the six of us went to get some food. Once we all had, sat around a table that, for some reason, was made up of segments that made it look vaguely like a pizza, each slice a different rainbow colour. I wasn't sure if it was funky or just tacky.

"So," I said, dramatically pausing to nibble at my wrap.

"So….?" Mitsuhide echoed.

"So, now, we have about two free hours to have another look at the school." I grinned.

"That we most certainly do." Akagi remarked wryly. "But you're making a point, aren't you?"

"Is she?" Akio wondered. "What are you implying, Amasaki-san?"

"Oh, come on, what sort of 'sleuths' are you?" Otsuka sneered. "This is a golden opportunity, can't you see?"

I wasn't sure whether I should snark at her for demeaning us, or applaud her for getting it. I satisfied myself with giving her the darkest look I possibly could-only for her to blithely ignore it.

"Ah, yes, of course. We will have to be careful though." Akemi said, thoughtfully.

"Oh! Of course! We're going straight into it already, huh?" Akio said. "That's kinda fast."

"Don't you know, time is of the essence in things like this?" Otsuka said.

"There'll still be time for eating, though, right?" Akio asked, after considering this for a moment.

"Yes, of course!" I said quickly, before Otsuka could but in. "But, we need to be as quick as possible…"

"Because…?" Mitsuhide asked, eyebrow raised.

I briefly thought about insulting his lack of intelligence, but shook it off. It was far more exciting to face them all and say:

"Because _now_ is when the real exploring begins!"

* * *

**Characters introduced this chapter:**

**Prospectives**

**Mitsuhide Okita, SHSL Audiobook Narrator (created by: Prince PokePersona)**


	18. Team Formation, part 2

Akio

As soon as we'd decided that we were going to try and explore the school as a start to our investigative efforts, we'd decided to split up. For some reason, even though they seemed to hate each other's guts, Mitsuhide and Rieka had gone together, and Akemi had decided to go with them-the decision had quelled yet another mini-spat they'd been about to have, so it was probably a good thing. This had left me with Akagi and Otsuka, and we had been going through the different classrooms that we'd been allowed to see.

"I don't think that there'd be anything here that we can use, really." I concluded after peering into the cubbyholes for schoolbags.

"I don't really think that private information would be left so plainly in public either." Akagi commented.

I straightened, and headed towards the door of the classroom again, where Akagi was waiting. I really wanted to talk to him properly about our mothers, have that kinship for a little while before we shared our link with the others. I wondered if Akagi would have wanted to talk to Eizo Amai too. I wished I could have, but no, he'd left. He'd had a bandage on his ear, too, and I'd heard some of the other students-to-be speculating about it back in the canteen. But he hadn't seemed scared the way Mum had when she'd come home. Maybe a little sad, maybe a little stressed, as far as I could tell from a fleeting glance. Not scared, though, not unless he was hiding it well. I wish I could have asked though, since he seemed like he would have answered.

_Maybe one day, though…_

"Information can be found in unlikely places, so it was worth looking anyway." Otsuka decided bossily. "We'll try a recreation room, next."

"There were books and things there, weren't there?" Akagi asked. "Perhaps something was slipped in there."

Akagi sounded vaguely sceptical, and indeed he was frowning as he said this. I was inclined to agree with that judgement.

"Pretty sure those were fake books, though." I answered. "But then that'd make it easier to hide things…but would they really?"

"As I said, unlikely places. But hey, you clearly have a brain, so let's go."

I sighed heavily and shook my head. Akagi turned his head to me and gave a half-nod. In lieu of a look back, I patted his arm briefly in solidarity, and we followed Otsuka as we headed to a recreation room. As we did, our phones buzzed, and I took mine out, as did Otsuka. Akagi did so too, but took a moment longer to put in some wireless earphones.

_Akemi Koizumi: The classroom Principal Munakata uses as an office was locked, and since there were a lot of other people around, we decided to not try and get in. It was locked, in any case. _

_Akemi Koizumi: There doesn't seem to be much else to report at the moment, though I think this Hope's Peak is going to set itself apart from the old despite the name, from looking around at everything. They're not overly dependent on their old image. _

"Phone, compose message: What do you mean by that?"

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the message popped up on my screen.

_Akagi Benbow: What do you mean by that?_

_Otsuka Jihara: Save it for when we regroup. _

I put my phone away at this, and then had to scramble to catch up with Otsuka, who had naturally already ended up striding off. But Akagi was not scrambling, and eventually I decided to match pace with him.

"They're an interesting bunch, aren't they?" he asked.

"Yeah, they are." I agreed. "Quite…intense, too. I think we're in for quite a time."

"Yes, yes. Do you think they already know? About our mothers? It would not be completely impossible to dig out."

"I've told Koizumi-san, already." I admitted. "But that was about me, not you. So maybe…but still, it's not like it's a real secret. We'll tell them, eventually. Though, I hope they'll be kind to them, when it comes to it."

"Mmm."

Akagi frowned at that, features tight and worried.

"It must be a heavy burden, mustn't it? The memories of something so traumatic." He mused eventually.

"I suppose so. I mean, just on the surface it sounds horrific…but hey, maybe there'll be some closure now, since they're re-opening it, and there's new technology and stuff. That's what happens with cold cases generally, right?"

"Not sure I'd know, but maybe."

"Ah, yeah, I don't know either. But yeah, I hope so."

"Oi," Otsuka called down the corridor. "What are you two nattering on about? Are you helping me or not?"

"We'd better speed up then." Akagi said, one side of his mouth quirking up slightly.

I laughed and nodded, and then said.

"Yup, yup."

We sped up accordingly until we reached Otsuka, and then we continued on into the recreation room. To our surprise, it wasn't empty-there was one other person in there, a short, green-haired teenage girl fiddling around with one of the tablets. I stopped, uncertainly, but Otsuka did not seem bothered and just went straight to the big screen. When the girl didn't even look up, I eventually stepped over the threshold and went to one of the bookshelves, and started skimming the different titles, picking one up to study the contents. Akagi followed me, and he also picked up books, but felt them over instead, as if looking for something unusual within the pages, or perhaps a hidden compartment, or something along those lines.

None of us in the room really said anything as we worked our way around the room, but eventually, I found myself near to the girl at the tablet, and I happened to glance at the screen, which seemed to be filled with code.

"Are you coding something on there?" I asked incredulously before I could stop myself.

The girl turned around, and her dull amber eyes flared in surprise before she swore under her breath and briefly turn back to tap at the tablet, returning it to the home screen and then she looked at me, assessing me with a shrewd glance.

"Nope, she was probably hacking."

I jumped.

"Jihara-san, I thought you were on the other side of the room!" I exclaimed as Otsuka seemed to just appear.

"You must be Ritsuka Nishimiya, SHSL Hacker."

The girl narrowed her eyes, and then nodded slowly and warily.

"Yes, that's right." She said simply.

"I'm Akio Arisato," I said quickly. "SHSL Lucky Student. Jihara-san's the SHSL Journalist and Benbow-kun's the SHSL Archer. Were you really hacking?"

Ritsuka frowned again, and then rubbed a hand over her face.

"I was just messing. I suppose you could say curiosity got the better of me."

Her voice had a slight drawl to it, somewhat tired sounding and jarring with the otherwise general girlishness of its tone. It was also at odds with the utterly blank yet somewhat piercing expression she had on her face as she regarded us all.

"Did you see anything when you were 'just messing'?" Otsuka asked.

"…define anything."

"Oh, you know, something that seems out of place…suspicious, that kind of thing." Otsuka said airily.

Again, that blank yet piercing look.

"Is that what the three of you are looking for?"

I blinked in surprise at that, and even Otsuka looked a little taken aback for a moment before slowly, her face broke out into a huge grin, though she said nothing to confirm or deny Ritsuka's suspicions. Ritsuka regarded us all-at this point, Akagi had walked over-for a moment before she nodded.

"I'm guessing you're looking for stuff about twenty years ago." She said. "That's really the only thing to be 'suspicious' about."

"Isn't it just?" Otsuka replied with a half-grin.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Ritsuka said simply.

Nobody responded to that initially, as we just stood there, clustered around the tablet on its stand.

"Do you want to join us?" I blurted out.

Ritsuka stared at me, and didn't answer. But her look-poorly concealed surprise-more or less said it all for me: _why?_

"Oh, that would be a good idea." Akagi said.

"Yes, we certainly could do with someone who knew their way around things like this." Otsuka waved airily towards the tablet. "Like someone who is the soon-to-be SHSL Hacker."

_Hacker? Oh, wait, of course. That does make sense. _For her part, Ritsuka's eyes briefly widened once again before her expression smoothed out again, and she yawned slightly before asking.

"Are you investigat-oh, wait. Are you with that girl, the Booktuber?"

"For my sins, yes." Otsuka said, and I had to stifle a chuckle at that. "Though don't worry, she isn't running the show."

"Ah."

"Are you not curious?" Akagi asked curiously.

"I suppose I am. " Ritsuka answered with a shrug. "So…alright."

Otsuka had opened her mouth to say something else, but now her jaw dropped open. A good few seconds passed before she shook her head in amazement.

"Oh, that's great!" I exclaimed. "We should probably be going back to meet with the others soon, right? Then we can talk about what we…well, what we didn't find."

I gave a sideways glance to Ritsuka, wondering if she might have actually found anything, crazy as it seemed, but she didn't seem to notice, instead just waiting for Otsuka to remember to respond. And after a moment, she did, chuckling to herself and then saying.

"Alright then, let's go."

**…**

_Eikichi_

"_The room's kind of tidy, isn't it?" Ayuna asked me as we finished looking around. "For a workroom, anyway."_

"_That could just be because not many of us used it," I pointed out. "Only the siblings, and of course Yuri would be the type to tidy up, wouldn't she?" _

_I looked across the room, where Kimiko had now taken Yuri off of the chair with Eizo's and Teiichi's help, and had now laid her on the floor to examine her. Apart from the mottling around her neck and the surprised look now permanently frozen on her face, she did not look as if she had suffered much. Even the clothes she was wearing-peach dungarees, with grey tights and rollerskates-rollerskates, of all the things-matching the dungarees seemed neat and unruffled. It was not so strange, if thinking about it, that Yuki couldn't believe that she was properly dead. She looked as if she was playing. _

_But this was the fourth time this had happened. There was no way she _couldn't_ be dead. _

_Just then, the door opened, and Friede and Takaaki came back in from helping Sadie with Azami and Yuki. _

"_He basically cried himself to sleep, but I still don't think he gets it." Friede said with a frown._

"_We're all meanies, apparently." Takaaki interjected wryly. "Because we're still playing the game when he doesn't like it anymore." _

_I groaned and rubbed my forehead. _

"_What now?" Friede asked the two of us. "What do you want me to do?"_

"_We probably need to figure out where everyone else at the estimated time she died," Ayuna said, looking on her Electro-ID. "According to this, that was 6:30pm or thereabouts. Where were you, then?"_

"_Oh, Sadie-san and I were preparing dinner at that time, with Kazama-san and Yamamoto-san. Azami-san was sitting with us, too, but of course, that was all she was doing. And she didn't move the whole time, so you can rule her out." _

"_And did any of you leave the kitchen during that time?"_

_Friede frowned curiously. _

"_I think maybe from time to time, toilet breaks and things, sure. I think I did once, but I wouldn't be able to tell you off of the top of my head when exactly." _

"_That's fine, that's good information anyway, right?" _

_Ayuna gave me a sideways look, and I nodded. _

"_It is. Aozaki, if you go to check Sadie's whereabouts, then I can stay here and ask Kazama and Yamamoto. "_

"_Gotcha!"_

_Ayuna mock-saluted me and gave a wavery grin, but her expression became grim once again, and she rushed off quickly. The Electro-IDs went off, multiple beeps causing a ripple across the room, and when I checked, the truth bullets for the case had been updated with Friede's statement. I so badly wished I could be comforting, the way some of the others could be, so easily and instinctively. But I could not, so instead, I had to be strong. _

_And so, after taking a deep breath, I went to do just that. _

I blinked, slowly, and groaned slightly as the world around me came back into focus, and I attempted to sit up. For a moment, my head seemed to spin, but the feeling soon subsided, and my surroundings took shape and made sense again.

"Aha, sleeping beauty is awake!"

I startled and looked to my right to see Shion sitting on a chair pulled right up to my bed. She grinned at me, but then her expression softened out and she reached out for my hand.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…." I realised that the brightness in the room was not just the lighting, and I glanced to the window. "It's already tomorrow?"

"Mhm. You seemed to need to sleep it off, and you became a little agitated when you almost woke up earlier, so I guess the rest was good."

"Agitated?" I asked sharply. "In what sense?"

Shion frowned.

"I'm not really sure, just restless and upset. I think you were remembering something."

"Did I say anything?"

"Woah, Eikichi." Shion shook her head. "No, no you didn't. The police did come to check on you, but I told them to buzz off, essentially. You'd just come out of surgery to get a _tracking bug_ out of your _ear_-that's hardly the prime time for questioning."

I reached up to the side of my head, just behind my ear, and touched the neat bandage. It didn't hurt, or at least not very much. But all the same, it was an irrevocable reminder.

"_Look," Ayuna said. "That's the dance studio on the second floor, right? And we know that Sadie and Lao are both there. And there are two dots."_

_She leaned over Seiko's shoulder and pointed to the relevant section of the map. _

"_So this cluster here is…us?" Seiko asked. _

_She turned her Electro-ID to show us. It was open on the maps, and there were a number of pulsating dots in different places. Two in what seemed to be the dance studio, a small amount representing me, Ayuna, Seiko, Fumiaki, Kimiko and Sen'ya, and the rest elsewhere. _

"_How are they doing that?" Sen'ya asked. "Like, we haven't even got phones."_

"_Perhaps it is these." Kimiko said, holding them up. "After all, we are required to carry them." _

"_Maybe…" Sen'ya said. "But the girls are hardly gonna be having theirs while dancing?"_

"_We can always ask them later, once they're done." Fumiaki said. _

I sighed and rubbed my eyes tiredly.

"What about the others? Do you know anything?"

"Haven't seen them. Then again, it'd be kinda awkward to be meeting my fiancé's friends while said fiancé is out cold. "She smiled wryly.

"They are-"

I stopped. I had been about to say, they aren't my friends, but that was a lie if I had ever thought of one. But of course, it wasn't even that straightforward to simply call them my friends. Not with tragedy and secrets and two decades worth of distance between us all. Of course, Shion couldn't know precisely what I thought of them, but she caught enough to narrow her eyes at me and scrutinise me carefully.

"I would like to meet them, by the way."

"_Why_?"

"Oh, you know, to find out more about what you were like in high school. Like, were you even more of a twit than you were at uni? They must have some funny stories."

Despite myself, I couldn't help but smile at that.

"I was a teenager, I probably _was_ terrible."

Shion laughed at that, and let go of my hand momentarily to brush back some of her hair.

"Oh my, some self-awareness." She grinned, clearly teasing. "No wonder I'm still in love with you."

"_WHAAAAAAAT? YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO KARAOKE?" _

_I winced at Katsuya's almost shriek. Moeka, too, seemed a little ruffled by his over-sized reaction, but she also seemed surprised. _

"_Who's never been to karaoke?" Akari called from across the table. _

"_Hanamura-kun hasn't!" Moeka said. "We were just asking if he wanted to come with us on Sunday."_

"_Oh man, you really haven't?" Eizo exclaimed. "Like, I expected that from Lao, she grew up in that hippie commune thing, right? But seriously, you're a city boy, right, and you haven't?"_

"_Is it really such a big deal?" I huffed. "That's just not something I did."_

"_Well, now's a good time to try it, right?" Azami asked with a smile. "You might as well."_

"_Oh yes, do come, Hanamura-kun!" Moeka exclaimed. _

"_Yes, yes, join us!" Eizo exclaimed. _

_Moeka, Eizo, Katsuya and the others on the table all stared at me, some of them almost puppy-eyeing me. _

"…"

_"Awww, come on! It'll be fun! You don't even have to sing if you don't wanna, just being out with friends is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Trust me, you're gonna love karaoke!" Moeka said. _

"_And you're not going to let up asking me, are you?" I asked. _

"_Nope!" Katsuya said immediately. _

_This made the Kishinami twins giggle and Eizo laugh heartily, and I sighed and mentally face-palmed before nodding. _

"_Sure, whatever. I'll see what the fuss is about."_

The simple, casual admission of love took my breath away for a moment. It was truly a good life to be living, where I had someone who could just say that to me, and who I could honestly say that to. It was so much more than what the likes of Teiichi, Kiran, Sen'ya and the others had ended up getting. Once everything came out, would that still be the case? Would Shion be able to look me in the eye and tease and laugh about her love for me with both of us knowing it was solid? Or would it crumble, along with anything and everything else that could possibly crumble with it?

I took a breath once again, rubbed my eyes again, and did my best to not let it show. I could not let it show.

"Funnily enough, I'm still in love with you too." I said, briskly. "But Shion, you don't need to be here now."

Shion narrowed her eyes at me.

"Seriously," I ploughed on. "I'm fine now, and you don't need to be here just sitting around while they question me. "

"…but if you end up needing representation."

"I'm not a suspect. I've never been a suspect."

_But if they ever found out even the slightest of what went on, then it'd be different, wouldn't it. _

"Yeah, and?" Shion glared. "You might still need it, or anything really. That's why I came!"

_I wanted you away from this though. You're the good in my life, you're not meant to be here. _I so badly wanted to order her to go home, draw on the strength I'd found to order the others around back then when we were trapped and pretend I didn't care about how cold I surely seemed. But Shion was the good in my life, the life I was still hoping I'd be able to go back to if and when this all blew over. _Please, blow over. _

"The hotel isn't that far, anyway. And at the very least I'll be allowed to phone you, if something happens. Or they will, depending. Just….go for now. I'll see you soon, alright."

I could not quite add the please, could not show just how desperate I was. But all the same, Shion's eyes softened again, and she nodded slowly.

"Alright. But I'm getting a doctor though, just to make sure you're alright on that front." She declared as she got up. "Don't stretch yourself."

She gathered her things and left, and for a moment, I just sat there, remembering.

_Teiichi walked into the room looking fairly composed, but when he scanned the room and spotted us sitting at the table, he didn't smile, instead just nodding and walking over. When he got closer, I noticed that his eyes were red-rimmed. He also looked incredibly pale. _

"_You need to get something to eat." Fumiaki said almost immediately. _

"_Mmm…" _

"_Actually, I will go and get it." Fumiaki decided before Teiichi could respond further. _

_He went off to do just that, and Teiichi blinked for a moment, before sitting down next to me. There was a moment where he just watched me eating my noodles, and then he sighed and asked:_

"_The girls cooked?" _

"_Yes, that's right." _

"_Oh." Teiichi rubbed his eyes, looking concerned. "I think I was supposed to be helping with the cooking today."_

"_I wasn't aware of that, but more than likely you were excused." I said, simply. _

_At that moment, Fumiaki came back with a tray, followed by Sen'ya with his own, and the last of those who had been in the kitchen, presumably cleaning up the things they'd been using to cook. _

"_Kazama, are you holding up?" Sen'ya asked immediately. _

_Teiichi quietly thanked Fumiaki and took his tray from him before turning to Sen'ya and giving him a watery smile. _

"_I…..I'm not sure."_

"_I mean, Nanakai was your best friend, it's natural that you are experiencing complicated feelings. Grief is supposed to be a complicated thing, so I've heard."_

"_Yeah, that sounds about right to me." Sen'ya said. "Like, it's not the same thing, but I was a complete mess when Ma split up from my sperm donor and we had to move-like, everything was upside down, you know? Of course my feelings weren't going to be straight. But yeah." _

"_Mmm….but, it's not just Kiran I miss, it's Komiya-kun too."_

_There was a moment of silence at that, as we all looked at each other uncomfortably. _

"_That, too, makes sense." I eventually said. "He's dead too, after all."_

"_Yeah, but…" Teiichi sighed, playing with his food restlessly, breaking the noodles into tiny pieces. "It's simpler to miss Kiran, isn't it?"_

"_What do you mean by that?" I asked. _

"_Well…whichever way you cut it, he was a victim. But Komiya-kun….he…."_

"_Because of what he did, he isn't such a sympathetic victim?" Fumiaki asked, eyes lighting up with sudden understanding. _

"_Woah, that's bullshit!" Sen'ya burst out. "Like, yes that's right, technically, but come on!"_

"_Calm down, Ochiai." I said mildly. _

"_Yeah, because in the entirety of human history telling someone to calm down has always worked." Sen'ya snarked. _

_Thankfully though, he did, and we all focused on Teiichi, who'd gone a bit red, and was hunching a little, looking down. A little like he had done around most of us at the beginning of last year, when we were all still getting to know each other and he was more easily embarrassed by our attention. He did eventually speak though:_

"_I don't hate him though, that's the thing. But it feels like I should…because of Kiran..." _

_Fumiaki nodded slowly and thoughtfully, but didn't say anything. I didn't either, thought privately, I did agree. _But what difference will saying that make? _It wouldn't, really. _

"_Well, either way, we'll need to start doing something to make sure that Nanakai's and Komiya's deaths are one-time events. " I said. "We'll need to set up a meeting of some kind soon. Maybe after dinner."_

"_Could it be tomorrow? I know it's important," Teiichi apologised. "But I think I'd have a clearer head tomorrow."_

"_I agree. You should confer with Aozaki, though, Hanamura."_

"_Aozaki? Why?" _

"_He's been trying to find a way to get out, I think, and while that hasn't been fruitful so far, his heart is clearly in the right place when it comes to trying to keep us safe. Despite the somewhat foolhardy exterior." _

_I looked over to see Ayuna pulling a face at Eizo, who was clearly describing something that was meant to be amusing and studied her for a moment, before turning back to the three of them. _

"_Maybe." I said, simply. _

I shook my head bitterly at the memory. _Escape_. Yeah, right. In the end, we'd been completely helpless until whatever machinations outside had led the police to randomly burst in one morning when we were all sombrely eating breakfast. If they hadn't found us, more than likely we would have….

My brain stopped itself abruptly as it reached the natural end of that line of thinking. It was obvious, and logical, but I did not and could not believe it. Or at the very least, I didn't want to. Because after all, right at the beginning, we'd all tried to be positive. We'd called bullshit on the situation, we'd drawn on our friendship to support each other, and we'd tried to look for ways to work around the situation. We had hoped. I had hoped. And look where that had gotten us. It was useless, utterly useless.

_In the end, I was utterly useless. _

I leaned back, stared at the blank white ceiling and the flickering lights, allowing myself to be briefly distracted at the stupidity of them being on when there was perfectly good daylight outside. Then, I groaned, and tentatively got up, making sure I was steady on my legs before smoothing down my clothes, and leaving the room, with the intention of perhaps walking down the corridor and back up again, before whoever Shion had managed to find got here.

But the moment I stepped through the doorway, I bumped into someone.

"_Who are you?" I asked the incredibly rumpled looking boy in annoyance, though he hadn't seriously hurt me from walking into me. _

"_Now, that's an interesting question, isn't it?" the boy mused sombrely. "It's more contextual than one would think, really. Who am I…in this moment? In other moments? To a particular person? To say nothing of what is 'I' in this case?" _

_I simply stared. I was perfectly awake, but it was far too early in the morning for this. The boy, for his part, suddenly smirked, the sparkle in his dark green eyes intensifying. _

"_My name's Takaaki Jinsai. What's yours?"_

"_Eikichi Hanamura. " I said simply. "What class have you been put in?"_

"_78-B."_

"_Oh, great."_

_The words were out of my mouth before I could even consider them, but in truth I wasn't about to hide my absolute bafflement and irritation. But Takaaki Jinsai didn't seem even slightly offended. Instead, he just nodded. _

"_I take it from that that you are also 78-B?"_

"_Unfortunately."_

I stumbled back, and then simply gawped at him.

"Jinsai." I said, instinctively, as if this were back then.

"Yes, that is still my name."

"I…"

Lost for words, I simply studied him. I was completely gobsmacked by his t-shirt, which seemed to have German words in a god-awful neon pink emblazoned across a picture of what looked like some ancient Greek sculpture. I wasn't too sure about combining it with a brown-and-cream-striped button-down shirt, though that at least was a normal item of clothing in itself. Then again, in the few professional photos I had chanced across whenever a few of my students happened to talk to me about their future university choices, his clothing choices hadn't been that much more coherent, so this seemed fine. Likewise, his longer hair with the random dyed streaks was objectively terrible, but also not that surprising to me. But the hollow look to his face was more pronounced in reality-his eyes, bags and all, seemed to almost protrude-and so was the paleness of his skin. But at least the eyes themselves had that same gleam to it as they scrutinised me just as openly.

"When did you get here?"

"Not sure exactly."

"Last night? A couple of hours?"

Takaaki shrugged, then opened his mouth. Quickly, I jumped in:

"And please do not go off on a tangent about the nature of time or whatever."

Takaaki's mouth quirked up slightly.

"Why? Is the possibility of time itself being a mere social construct too much for you to handle?"

"At this point in time, yes."

"Ahh, but if not now, then when."

I was pretty sure that was meant to be a question, but it didn't sound like it. I simply groaned, wondering how it was that our first meeting in twenty years had somehow ended up exactly like our first _ever_ meeting. I was not sure if this was a good thing, or a bad thing.

In the stretching-out silence, Takaaki idly played with the strands of his hair, and as he did, I caught a quick glimpse of his ear, which was bandaged.

"Oh, you've had it remo-"

As Takaaki switched strands, he revealed his other ear, which was also bandaged. Wait, what?

"Jinsai," I asked, slowly. "What did you do?"

Takaaki's eyes went wide, and he stared at me with a hundred-yards stare, but he did not say a word.

"Jinsai." I repeated.

"Does it matter?" he asked, eventually.

"Yes it bloody matters!" I said. "Show me, what did you do?"

Takaaki lapsed back into silence, but he slowly pushed away his hair on both sides, holding it into a loose, sloppy approximation of a ponytail with his hands so that I could see that both his ears were bandaged, but in a haphazard, sloppy way, a little of the gauze on one side hanging like some insane idea of a decoration. It took a few moments for me to realise that a little part of each bandage was stained with red.

"Did you…did you cut your own ears?" I asked.

Takaaki simply shrugged, then let go of his hair again, letting it half-cloak his ears once again. I didn't know whether I should lecture him, or run for help, or what. Before, I wouldn't have known as such, but I would have decided something, and then done it. But now…what right did I have? I looked away for a moment, then made eye-contact.

"Your ears are bleeding, Jinsai-san." I said slowly.

"Jinsai is fine, like before." He replied, automatically.

"Okay, fair, fine. But your ears are bleeding. You need to go and get that checked out. My fiancée sent a doctor up here, so someone should be here soo-"

"Jinsai-kun!"

I turned around, startled, and saw that two of the detectives-Matsumoto-Fujioka and Kurosawa-were coming down the corridor from the other direction.

"Jinsai-kun, you should have asked for us!" Matsumoto-_no, wait, he said Detective Matsu, didn't he?_ \- said almost immediately, reaching him. "We need to-"

"His ears are bleeding." I said immediately, interrupting him this time.

Matsu whipped around to stare at me, and then turned to Takaaki again.

"Is this true?" he asked.

Takaaki pulled a face.

"Did you try to take the bug out yourself?" Kurosawa asked, scrutinising Takaaki carefully.

Once again, Takaaki didn't respond for the longest time, before eventually shrugging like a petulant teenager.

_Finally, we managed to get a good grip on her, and were able to pull her back from Eizo. Almost immediately, Sadie and Friede rushed over to help him, though he was at least able to get up unaided. But Lilian continued to wriggle and spit and rage, and though I could more than handle her weight, her motion was a different story. _

"_How dare…how dare you…." She twisted so that she was facing the bear sitting in it's throne. "You told me that I would be protected!"_

"_Upupu, but you know the rules my dear Lao-san! If you're the blackened and you get figured out, then you're the one who has to die!"_

"_I WORKED FOR YOU! I DID YOUR BIDDING FOR MY SISTERS AND THIS IS WHAT I GET?" Lilian writhed in rage, and I tightened my grip instinctively. _

"_Keep holding onto her." I told Teiichi and Takaaki. "She'll hurt someone else if we let her go." _

_As if to underline this point, at this moment one of Lilian's feet connected with the side of my leg, and I couldn't hold back the gasp of shock that escaped my mouth. _

"_They weren't meant to figure it out though! Ochiai-kun and Tsukuda-san were the smartest ones of those left!" Lilian exclaimed. "You must have rigged it!"_

"_Nope, I didn't. I'm a fair bear, don't you know?" the bear burst into peals of giggles. "Don't you know, Lilian Lao, this is what you get for being a traitor?"_

_Lilian's face contorted more than I thought possible, going red and making the tattoo on her cheek look like it was pulsing. When she opened her mouth to speak again, the words that came out were not Japanese. _

"_Is she cursing us?" _

_I startled at the sound of Takaaki's voice, so much sandpaper, as if he hadn't spoken for a number of years, as opposed to since early on this trial. Though it was hard to pinpoint what it was exactly, since strange was basically what he was, there was all the same something very _strange _about the fixed, unreadable expression he wore. _

"_Well, it's mostly curse words, so in a way, yes." Friede answered. "But honestly at this point it's just rage." _

_Lilian was undeterred by Friede's interpretation, and continued to rant. I puffed out a breath, and then looked to the bear, waiting for the inevitable. And hating myself for hoping for it, so that finally I could let go. _

Once he said it, it all came together and made sense. I ran my hand through my hair.

"Jinsai, why?"

"You wanted to get yours out too, right?"

Matsu and Kurosawa exchanged a look, and then Matsu put what I presumed was meant to be a comforting hand on Takaaki's arm.

"Come on," he said, with miraculously mild exasperation. "Let's get you checked out. Hopefully not too much damage has been done. I'll be bringing Detective Hirawa down and we'll go through what happened here afterwards."

Takaaki didn't resist this, and I watched for a moment as the two of them left. Then, I turned to Kurosawa.

"You probably want to question me now."

"Actually, yes. We can do it in your room, if you need to. Has a doctor been?"

"Shion asked for one on her way out."

"Oh." He cocked his head curiously. "You didn't want her with you?"

_Of course not. _

I simply shook my head, and in response he nodded.

"Alright then, we'll take it in here, until the doctor gets here. Don't worry, alright?"

It was a bit late for that, but I nodded. And then we went back inside.

**…**

_Takaaki_

To my relief, Detective Matsu didn't say anything as he took me to a different examining room and gave a rundown of 'the situation' to the doctor, who then unpeeled my attempts at bandaging and examined my ears.

"Yes, this could have got infected if you hadn't come here." The doctor scolded. "You're old enough to know better, you shouldn't have done this."

"I said tomorrow." I said, simply.

"It would have been fine for you to come before," Matsu said, his voice with that same trying-to-reassure cadence it had all those years ago. "in fact, it would have been even better if you'd come last night, then everyone would be done. But, at least we can get you bandaged up now. Doctor, could you scan Jinsai-kun once you're done, and see if he did manage to get it out?"

"Of course."

At this point, I zoned out and tried my hardest to not think about anything. I tried my best to pretend that I was not here, that nothing was happening, that I was just in my apartment, reading or sleeping or something. I did not want to remember this. But in simply going through the motions here, I found myself remembering much worse.

_I followed Teiichi to the toilets mutely, suddenly far too tired to argue. My hands still felt sore, and I was reeling with the news. Not just Sen'ya, but Kimiko too? I didn't want to believe it. _

"_Here." Teiichi murmured. "She's…here."_

_He stepped aside, letting me go inside. For some reason, now of all times, I heard a little voice shrieking 'but these are girl's toilets'. But if ever there was a time to not care about that, it was now, and since I'd never cared about that if it was empty, I forced myself in. And then, all I could do was stare. _

_When, and how, did life begin? That was something I had been trying to explore in various papers, drawing on old philosophers thoughts and re-examining in a new light, or trying to find completely different angles. It was a question with no easy answer, much like everything in life. I'd thought, then, that the end of life was much the same. But of course, I was so stupid. I should have seen it before, all these times over. But it was only now I realised it. _

_This, right here, a young girl in a comfortable black cardigan, sprawled across the floor, the blood from her wound more than half-dried already, someone who would never respond to her name ever again even if I did decide to say it one more time. This was the end of life. It was that simple, and I hated it._

"Woah, woah, breathe, you're fine, Jinsai-kun."

I blinked, blearily, and stared at Matsu, who was looking at me in concern. I remembered that concern well. He'd hovered around us a lot, I remembered. I thought he'd been sent by whoever our captor had been, checking on us. Even after he'd used the windows to show us we were free, it'd taken me a while to warm up to him even though even Eikichi had seemed okay with him eventually.

"Come on, let's get you sat down again."

I let him steer me, and then push a glass of water in my hands. I gazed at it for a moment, looking at the ripples in the surface. I found myself thinking of Sadie, or Mai as I was supposed to think of her now, guiding Azami's hands, coaxing her to drink in the same way you would a baby. Except, of course, a baby would at least respond in some way. I took a deep breath, and slowly lifted the glass to my lips, chugging it down until it was completely empty, and then shoving it back at Matsu. He put it down, and then beckoned to the other detective-I assumed he was a detective-who I assumed was the Hirawa that had been mentioned earlier.

"This is Detective Hirawa, Jinsai-kun. It's just been confirmed that you did manage to get the bug out, so we do need to ask you some questions about that."

My shoulders slumped with relief, and I made a gesture with my hand to indicate that they should go on.

Matsu and Hirawa both took seats opposite me, as the doctor finished clearing up and made himself discreetly scarce.

"Could you tell us what made you decide to take it out?"

I shrugged, feeling petulant.

"Wouldn't you?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to know that I might have possibly been tracked all these years, but I would have still waited for a doctor to do it." Matsu said diplomatically.

"Did you plan to do this all along?"

This, I could at least honestly answer.

"Nope."

"Riiight…"

Hirawa considered this. I couldn't tell if it was the lack of familiarity or not, but I didn't take to him. I wanted Detective Matsu to ask all the questions, not him. He was not the one who had opened a window and tried to make me feel the air. He hadn't been there before. What did he know, about anything?

"Can you tell us how you did it?"

"I took a knife to the bathroom, and leaned over the sink, and then I cut. "

"Was there any reasoning in where and how you cut?"

I stared, tried to get my breathing under control.

"Define _reasoning_." I said, trying to be flippant. "What is the criteria for being considered reasonable by society? And by which society are we defining this by?"

"That is….not really the point here." Hirawa huffed. "The point is that you've just potentially washed away important evidence down the drain."

"Evidence."

"_But we saw for ourselves, right? His door lock had broken, so he was definitely trapped for a long time at the very least." Teiichi pointed out. "He wouldn't have been able to get out."_

"_It isn't clear if the lock was already broken, or if he himself broke it trying to open the door, as he initially stated. That is what you said, isn't it, Jinsai?" _

"_Yes….." I started. "It is the assumption I made, considering that was the first time today I'd tried to use the door."_

"_And you did say it wasn't locking at all when you did actually go to bed last night." Eikichi continued. _

"_That in itself doesn't even mean anything!" Eizo pointed out. "Most of us had trouble with the locks at some point, right? And Akari and Azami got trapped too, before, remember?" _

"_That is true, but until we can pin down the exact timings, it doesn't take Jinsai out of the frame for either murder, especially not Tsukuda's. It's essential we do that first."_

"_Jeez, it's almost as if you want him to be guilty." Ayuna muttered. _

"_I'll pretend that you didn't say that," Eikichi responded coldly. "But the quicker that we pin down the guilty party, the better it will be. We won't have to drag this out-presumably, you don't want that."_

_Ayuna glared at him, but then slowly shook her head. _

"Yes, evidence. That could have helped us work out what happened to you and your friends."

"At the very least," Matsu intervened. "It could have been a vital clue. We do have others, but all the same, that was a reckless thing to do, you do understand."

"I didn't think of it like that."

"Then, what did you think?" Hirawa asked.

"You saw, didn't you? What it was like in there?"

I directed my answer to Matsu, who blinked, taken aback.

"I…yes. What are you talking about in particular, Jinsai-kun?"

"The locks, the cameras. You saw."

"I….yes….?"

"_Upupu, look at you, all domestic and boring!"_

_Azami, Sadie, Lilian and Eizo all shrieked with varying intensities as that damned bear appeared out of nowhere as we were all eating breakfast. _

"_Porridge and fruits, and some chocolate-it's looks so ordinary and boring, nobody can tell you're in a killing game."_

"_I'm not eating boring things!" Yuki declared. "I've got chocolate cereal, which is waaaaay better."_

"_Oh good for you, fluffykins. It's still not murder, so I don't care!" the bear said, jumping on the table and knocking over both Eikichi's and Fumiaki's juice in the process._

"_Oh, fuck off." Sen'ya responded, to the point as always. _

"_Hey, is that any way to talk to your principal?" the bear seemed to pout, then recovered, bouding further along the table. "Especially when I've come to tell you how disappointed I am?"_

"_I mean, come on? No murders? I would have thought that the first one would have whetted your appetite for blood!"_

_Monobear paused to consider, then seemed to acquire a reddish tinge to his face, and a slightly sneaky slant of the eyes. It was almost as if he was…blushing? It certainly made it seemed like he was more creature than robot. _

"_Even if you don't wanna shed blood, couldn't you at least shed your clothes or something? You're teenagers, you're meant to be all hormonal and shit. You could at least give me a good show. Especially you two!"_

_He pointed both his paws at Azami and Eizo, who were sitting next to each other. Akari was on the other side of Azami, and she glared threateningly. _

"_What do you mean, us two?" Eizo asked, quizzically. _

"_You're the class couple, right? But all you do is just giggle at each other. What are you, old people in the 1950s? If you're so in love you should at least be past the kissy-kissy stage. "_

_Monobear made squelching noises, puckering up his lips and getting in both their faces, making them recoil. _

"_Leave my sister alone." Akari said, coldly, trying to create a barrier between them using her arm. _

"_Oh come onnnnn, tell me you don't want to. Especially you, lover boy. I bet you want to take her to your bed and strip her of all her clothes and then pu-"_

"_Enough!" Sen'ya slammed the table. "Jesus bloody crikey, enough! That's disgusting, and we don't want to hear it. Besides, even if they were doing it, that's a PRIVATE choice, between THEM and therefore none of our fucking buisness. Fuck off with your creepy voyeurism."_

_Both Eizo and Azami were, for their parts, completely tomato-red and speechless, Azami chewing a hangnail and Eizo just looking plain aghast. Akari whispered something to Azami before putting a comforting arm around her. _

"_Oooh, big words!" Monobear mocked. "But fiiiiine. I've got something that might make you change your minds later, you brats, so all of you'd better get your butts down to the gym by 10, you hear me?"_

_With that, he whizzed across the table, jumped down and ran away. For a moment, we stared, and then Ayuna rapidly got up. _

"_I'm going to see where he goes. Seiko, want to come?"_

_Seiko shrugged, before also getting up, and proceeding to follow her friend out of the room. _

"Can you imagine," I asked. "What it was like? Living like that?"

Matsu and Hirawa exchanged a look, and before either could answer, I seized on that look.

"You can't, can you? You just can't. So, there you go. That's why."

_And that is all I will say. _


	19. Recollections 1: Sen'ya Ochiai

**And now for something a little different. **

**Some of you may remember me talking on Discord about these chapters before, but basically 'Recollections' will be another type of special chapter in this fic, which are basically snippets of the past told from the POVs of the victims. Some will be within the killing game, some on the road trip, and others at different times throughout the year before the killing game. The aim generally is so you can get to know the victim OCs a little better as well as get a better sense of what the past was like for everyone. I aim to at least have one for each victim, but I might tweak that slightly depending on how the main story goes and other such things. Mind you, though I've kicked the recollections off with one of my victim OCs I will try and prioritise submitted victims for these chapters. **

**So, yeah, enjoy. **

* * *

"Are we nearly there yeeeee-"

"Yes, for crying out loud!" I said quickly before Yuki could start off again. Honestly, he was such a child, I didn't know how Yuri put up with him. But as I drove slowly down the familiar road, looking for a good place to park, I shook the irritation away. After all, this was my hometown, and I was showing it off.

There'd been a time when I would have been ashamed to admit I was from here, let alone show anyone, for no other reason than I'd been a pugnacious, hurting, confused 10 year old when I'd first arrived here, conscious of being weird for the fact my mother was now single. Looking back now, with a classmate who had a single dad, another raised by two grandmothers, and two who were adopted, single motherhood seemed so ordinary in comparison. But still, now I was 17 and nearly grown, I had skills and pride, and this place had become my home.

"Is that the inn?" I heard Kimiko ask.

"It looks like it," Moeka answered her. "It looks ever so quaint and sweet, Sen'ya-chan!"

"Tell Ma that, she'll love you forever." I answered back, only half-paying attention to everyone's chatter as I concentrated on parking.

Once we were done, I opened the door and got out, and everyone followed suit, drifting out, Eikichi going around to the back to get everyone's suitcases.

"Alright, five of you, come and help me with the suitcases while Ochiai goes to get us registered. "He ordered.

"Who died and made you king?" Osamu snarked.

"Oh, I'll come and help!" Sadie exclaimed. "Lilian-chan, are you coming?"

"I suppose I must do my part, so of course." Lilian responded calmly.

A few others followed, and started Eikichi didn't respond to Osamu's quip-he had been giving variations of this quip most stops so far and clearly didn't mean it. However, I rolled my eyes as I walked in with Fumiaki, Kimiko, Moeka, Azami and Eizo. The lady at the front desk wasn't my mother, or any of the inn employees I recognised, but all the same, when she looked up from her book at us, her face lit up instantly.

"Oh my goodness, you must be Sen'ya-kun!" she exclaimed.

"I….er…did Ma tell you about me?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, and of course, you're practically famous! And you've come to our little inn!"

"It's a lovely place, and of course Sen'ya-chan's mother works here too, so we wouldn't want to stay anywhere else!" Moeka exclaimed. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you! I'm Moeka Kamiya!"

"SHSL Mortician, right?" the lady nodded. "I'm Setsuko Nagai, it's nice to meet you all."

The others introduced themselves, and at that moment, the others started to come in dragging the suitcases. Katsuya and Rin were apparently attempting to attack each other with their suitcases, while Kiran was struggling with his own as well as some of ours.

"Woah, woah!" Fumiaki instantly swept in. "Don't worry about ours, Eizo can carry them!"

"EH?" Eizo exaggerated his surprise. "Me?"

Azami giggled, half out of some sort of girlfriend-ish loyalty (I assumed) and half because Eizo _was _making a very silly face that made Kiran smile despite the fact he was looking a little embarrassed at his struggles. Fumiaki, of course, just sighed, and after shooting a conspiratorial look at me, simply said:

"Yes, you are."

"Oh, no, no, it's fine, really…" Kiran started.

"No-there's no sense in you over-extending yourself. You already do your bit anyway. Just go join the others."

Eizo pulled another silly face, but obliged in grabbing his and Fumiaki's bags from Kiran, who sighed disconsolately and came to join us.

"Don't worry, kiddo." I said to him. "Want first dibs on the rooms? There'll be a girl's room and a boy's room-right, Nagai-san?"

I directed this to Nagai, making the effort to use the honorific because she was adult, but she laughed and waved it off.

"Please, call me Setsuko!" she grinned. "And yes, that's right-I trust that will suit."

"Yeah, it's fine." I said. "Really, I know this isn't a big place."

Kiran nodded earnestly, eyes wide. I could sense Nagai paying closer attention to him, her eyes widening in that maternal way most people seemed to do around him, what with that aura of little-boy-lost he seemed to have about him, even when he was perfectly fine. I guess it was the frailty (though he wasn't even that short, compared to some of the girls) combined with the very, very slight learning difficulties he'd candidly told us about last year when we were all introducing ourselves during our very first homeroom.

"I'd love to choose."

"Well then, that is settled." Fumiaki said.

"Well, once your names are all written in the book, I'll take you over to the two rooms. And, Sen'ya-kun, I'll see if I can find your mother to come say hi."

"Nah, she'll come sooner or later, I know."

The others got their names written down, and claimed their bags from those who'd been responsible for carrying them in. There was a brief scuffle when Yuki dropped a toy that he'd been carrying and couldn't remember where, but it was quickly found by the door, and Nagai was soon leading us down a familiar light-blue painted corridor, until we got to the two end rooms, one opposite the other. After quickly telling us (well, the others, really) about the bathrooms and what time the meals were, she left to return to the front desk, leaving us with the two rooms, all ready for us.

"Alrighty, Nanakai, you do the honours." I said quickly before anyone could charge in.

"Aww, why's he getting to choose?" Yuki whined.

"Because he is!" I retorted.

"Auuuu…"

"You'll get to choose a futon once you're with the boys, it's fine!" Yuri hurriedly said, looking flustered. I didn't blame her-seeing moments like this made me grateful I was an only child.

"They're probably fairly similar anyway, right?" Teiichi pointed out pragmatically. Thank goodness for people like Teiichi.

"True enough." Eikichi acknowledged.

I just nodded, because I was well aware that apart from the patterns on the folding screens, both rooms were identical. Kiran, for his part, was taking his duty incredibly seriously, his unintentional charm in full effect as he stared into the first room on the left, and then the other. He went back to the first, considered it a moment, then turned to us.

"This one." He beamed, pointing to the left room. "I like the birds."

"Alright, then!" I said. "Left room it is. Girls, you have the other room."

"That is fine by me." Seiko said, some of the others chiming in with something similar.

"Fair play, dude." Rin said.

"Wait, what is in the other room?" Lilian asked, unexpectedly.

Kiran frowned for a moment, then his face lit up.

"Butterflies!"

Lilian touched the tattoo on her face, and nodded in quiet approval.

"Oh, that sounds pretty!" Azami exclaimed. "I wonder if we'll see any real butterflies on this trip!"

"I'm sure we will, but let's get our stuff in," Akari answered. "I don't know about you, but I'm ravenous!"

"I know a cool place near to here-once we're sorted, I'll take you." I said, proud of myself. "We can stop at old man Nagatsuka's on the way back afterwards."

"Sounds like a plan!" Eizo laughed.

"We will trust in you, tour guide Sen-sen!" Katsuya laughed as we filed into our separate rooms.

"OI! I said, stop calling me that!"

* * *

**A quick note: Ayuna's deadname and pronouns will be used in the recollections simply because not only was Ayuna not transitioned/transitioning during the times covered by them, but none of the victims could possibly know of her new name and pronouns for somewhat obvious reasons. Still, thought it'd be worth clarifying. **


	20. Off Guard

_Nobuyuki_

"Alright, come in, make yourself comfortable," I said. "You alright then, no pain?"

I was making a particular point of making sure that my only priority was to make the survivors comfortable as we gathered them into the visitors' room once all the surgeries were done. It was not as if it was a lie-I really wanted them to be at ease. But at the same time, I also wanted to monitor their reactions to being around each other in a more discreet way, to see if there were any clues I could use to direct my questioning. For example, I had already gleaned that Mai was still feeling fragile, as Juro had dropped her off right at the door, and he had waited until she was sitting with Friede before giving me a look and then leaving. Ayuna seemed rather poised, and Takaaki had opted to sit on the floor, tucking his legs underneath a chair and avoiding looking at everyone. But I wasn't fooled that they'd be completely off their guard, no matter how much I wanted them to be comfortable. They hadn't been before, after all.

_Eizo, Sadie (escorting Azami) and Ayuna all went to sit on the sofas straight away, but the others hung back. Friede hesitated for a moment, looking to Sadie for a moment. _

"_Free, come."_

"_Ahhh…."_

_Friede threw a wary glance at the two-way window, before then going to perch on the arm of the sofa that Mai and Azami were on. But Eikichi and Takaaki both hesitated, both looking around them suspiciously, though Takaaki made a point of hovering by the door. _

"_We're being watched." Eikichi declared after a moment. _

"_You what?" Eizo asked, where he was lounging, fairly relaxed. Or at least, he seemed relaxed. Looking closer, I could see the smile was a little strained, as if he was making an effort to have that expression. _

_In response, Eikichi pointed over at the two-way window. Eizo pulled a face, and laughed sheepishly. _

"_But, they left us alone in here, surely it's not a big deal."_

"_Really?" Ayuna snorted. "It's not a big deal that they're watching us, the way we were watched before?"_

"_It's like the dance studio." Sadie murmured. _

_This earnt some nods from the others, though Eikichi continued to glare at the two-way window. _

"_I'm going to go in there in a minute." Shizuka announced on this side of the glass. "You were right, Kurosawa-san, that they weren't likely to try and get their stories straight. "_

"_No, they wouldn't." I acknowledged. "But I did expect them to lower their guard a little."_

"_Haven't they technically had time to 'get their stories straight' anyway." Another detective asked. _

"_They've been in the company of someone almost all of the time since coming out-us, the doctors, child services, their parents or carers." I pointed out. _

"_I suppose so…"_

"_Did the dance studio there have a mirror? Perhaps it was actually a two-way window like this?"_

_Both Shizuka and I turned to look at the young detective with the cherry-red-dyed hair. Gabriel, I remembered. His eyes were bright with enthusiasm. _

"_Why do you ask that?"_

"_It's just because they immediately pegged the window as being a two-way one in which they were being watched, and then Sadie-chan directly compared it to the dance studio. And they've indicated that they're used to being watched."_

_Shizuka nodded slowly. _

"_That might be something to look into." She said slowly. "I was under the impression it was all CCTV, but if it wasn't, then that might change things. It's hard to say how, though."_

"_Ah, I can look into that!" Gabriel suggested eagerly. _

"_Take Officer Arisato with you."_

_When they had gone, I turned my attention to the children again. _

"_Well, of course they're watching us! They're trying to work out what happened." Eizo said. "Right?"_

"_It doesn't matter." Eikichi cut in, decisively. "They're watching us. We know what it's like, so we have to be careful. Just in case."_

_His frown deepened, and the others also shifted, looking uncomfortable. Sadie put her arm around Azami, the only one whose reaction had not changed. _

"_Detective Kurosawa."_

_I looked to Shizuka, and nodded. _

"_Let's go."_

"Alright," I said. "We figured that it would be a lot easier to give you the information you needed to know now, as a group, and then we and Detective Takamoto here can ask you some questions of our own. How does that sound to you?"

I gestured to the detective I had with me, a colleague from Cold Cases. I had originally planned to have Juro with me, but I'd quickly worked out that that wasn't going to, well, work. Instead, he was going back to the station to try and track down some of the original witnesses whose evidence had gradually helped us to pinpoint the survivors' location.

"That works for us." Ayuna said before anyone else could, voice confident.

I noticed Eikichi glance at her, mouth slightly curled in irritation, before he let out a slight breath and returned his attention to me. Azami too gave her a look, though more wide-eyed in surprise. Indeed, if it wasn't for the fact that she somehow seemed paler than the night before and that she had her hands curled into tight fists on her lap, I would have thought she seemed relatively calm, considering the circumstances. I nodded slowly, and decided to plough on.

"Well then," I said. "I think the first concern was whether or not the trackers were active, but all the indications suggest that they were not. It seemed they worked only in tandem with your tablets and the sensors at Shirohata."

"Electro-IDs." Eizo blurted out, before realising himself and blinking.

"Yes, the Electro-IDs." I said, taking the correction in my stride. "So it does seem like their only purpose was to monitor you within that setting."

"So, there's nothing to worry about? Akio, and Sachi?" Mai asked.

"Nothing at all." Takamoto reassured.

"Are we going to suffer any ill effects from having had them in?" Friede asked softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"No." Takamoto said. "Apart from any stitches that'll need to heal now they've been removed, there won't be and shouldn't be any issues. You were thoroughly examined."

"Yeah, I noticed." Ayuna muttered, still poised, before she posed a question of her own. "Do you have any idea why we had trackers implanted?"

"We were hoping perhaps you could enlighten us. " Takamoto said. "Thinking back on what you experienced, do you see how being tracked might have formed a part of that?"

There was not an immediate response. Instead, everyone exchanged looks, cautious and unsteady. I wondered if they were looking to each other for a signal on what to say or not to say. Except that _none_ of them looked like they were sure, of anything. Certainly, they didn't seem to be gleaning anything at all from each other's expressions, which was strange considering their friendship. _Then again, they haven't been in contact, have they….?_

"I don't know." Azami eventually confessed. "Apart from maybe whoever was watching us keeping an eye. I seem to remember…."

She paused at this point, and looked to the others uncertainly once again. Eizo bit his lip, but then gave her a smile to encourage her, which then caused alarm to flit over the faces of some of the others.

"There was a particular time 'night time' started…it was 10pm, or something. It just meant that some of the rooms were ….were blocked off, and the showers were turned off too. But once….Akari and I…Akari and I…."

Azami spoke slowly, still looking to the others, but more to Eizo, in between her pauses.

"Take your time, you're doing very well." I interjected when this pause went on for a little longer than the others.

Azami nodded, clasping her hands together and looking down at them again for a moment, before once again looking at Eizo, who smiled at her once again.

"Akari and I…" she tried again. "When we were getting ready to go to bed, we heard the announcement, and then it referred to Jinsai-kun still being in the canteen."

"Oh yeah, I remember that." Takaaki piped up, surprisingly matter-of-fact. "I got locked in there that night, because I didn't leave."

"But you still didn't get to see who came in and resupplied our food." Ayuna said, with a slightly wry tone to her voice, almost smiling. "You were asleep under the table with the remains of cookie dough ice-cream all over your clothes."

"That-" Takaaki opened his mouth, then clamped it shut. "Yes, well. I only wanted midnight ice-cream."

_That's a lie. _Not one of commission-I was fairly sure that Takaaki had wanted ice-cream for later in the night and that he hadn't paid any regard to this rule. But he was holding something back. I glanced at Takamoto, looked to see if he had picked up on this possibility. Judging by the look he gave back, he had. _I'll need to probe that one more deeply, perhaps. Let's see how things go. _

"Of course you did." Ayuna said, now shaking her head. "That was what the midnight feast was for, remember?"

"That was fun…." Friede said wistfully. "Despite everything….but it doesn't matter now."

"This midnight feast, did anything happen during it?" I asked, deciding instinctively to focus on this.

"Nothing to do with the trackers." Eikichi responded brusquely.

"No, no, Monobear knew where we were, the next day. Remember?" Eizo said.

"Yes, I do. But nothing happened _during the feast_, did it?" Eikichi asked, with exaggerated patience.

"No….no, it didn't."

"How long into your captivity did this feast occur?" Takamoto asked.

This gained some blank looks.

"A….maybe a couple of weeks?" Mai eventually offered. "It was still pretty early on…most of us were still alive."

"Most?" Takamoto pressed.

"Can you tell us who was?" I gentled my voice as I made this request.

Once again, the survivors looked at each other. Eventually, Ayuna answered, voice slightly hushed.

"Only Nanakai-kun and Komiya-kun had died at that point."

I nodded at this, and then between us, Takamoto and I asked a few more questions about possible situations during their captivity in which their locations may have been tracked. Most of the information was, to the best of my memory, things we had already gleaned, but there were a few nuggets of information. Most importantly, I felt like I had a slightly better sense of what their experience had been like, since it seemed like the distancing years had allowed them to look back on it a little more distantly, whereas before they'd just come out of it. They had felt too in the thick of it. No wonder, when all indicators were that their privacy had been hideously invaded, and tension had deliberately been increased, for no other apparent reason than simply to keep them on edge. There was something that holding back the full truth, but there was a definite sense that sooner or later, enough pieces would come together that we'd be able to chip away at that wall.

So eventually, we decided to let them go, as long as they stayed in Towa City-which it turned out they had been planning to do. I didn't issue any other restriction apart from that-it was definitely far too early to do so. And we needed them to be at ease for now.

"We can organise transport or escorts for you, if you'd like. It might make things easier, especially since by now reporters must have found out you're here." Takamoto said. "So, where do you all need to go?"

"Well, Azami and I-" Eizo started.

"Can they come around to mine?" Mai asked.

Despite myself, I couldn't help but stare at her. That, of all things, was not what I was expecting. The other survivors seemed rather surprised too. Mai reddened and shrugged as she explained.

"Juro's working, of course, the kids are with friends and I'm off work for now so….well, I could make lunch. It'd be nice to properly get to know each other again, while we're here."

"Do you know what, that sounds like a plan to me." Ayuna said. "We're for it."

Friede and Takaaki both nodded hesitantly, with the latter shrugging nonchalantly as well.

"Excuse me, don't decide on my behalf." Eikichi said. "I-"

Eikichi looked at Mai, who had a pleading expression on her face, eyes wide. He sighed and rubbed his face.

"I'll call Shion, but I won't stay for long. I'm not here for this."

"No, no, it doesn't have to be long."

"Yes, that's fine, not a problem. I'll arrange it." I said to Takamoto."If you want to get the other officers and send them back, then we can head off to the next place?"

"Sure." Takamoto said easily.

Takamoto headed off, and I escorted the survivors down. Eizo, Azami, Mai, and Ayuna went in Eizo's car, while Friede, Eikichi and Takaaki went in Friede's, an officer following in an unmarked car.

"If you do remember anything else that might relate to the trackers before we next bring you in, please do contact any of us. Otherwise, we will be seeing you soon and hopefully there will be further developments to share with you as well." I told them before they left.

"Yes, of course." Mai said politely. "Thanks, Nobu-san."

"Not a problem."

I watched as they drove away, then went back into he hospital to meet Takamoto.

**…**

_Shizuka_

"Alright then, thank you very much. Goodbye."

I put the phone down and leaned back in my chair. _Well, that's at least one thing done, _I thought. I was not particularly looking forward to having a press conference, but it was a necessary evil. The press could have a role to play in helping investigations to unfold, and it was of course to be honest and open with the world. On the other hand, there were privacy concerns and one couldn't have everything out there, since then it'd be hard to tell what was relevant, and what wasn't. Leaks had and continued to have catastrophic consequences. But moving away from the generalities, there was so much expectation placed particularly on this investigation. Especially as we had failed the last time.

"_I…"_

"_What is it, Benbow-san?" I asked generally. _

_Friede blinked, and bit her lip uncertainly before letting out a small sigh. _

"_If it is alright to ask…why did it take so long for you to find us, Detective?"_

The disappointment of the survivors, and of the victims too, was definitely still the most important factor. They expected us as the police to be able to help them, and then we hadn't been able to. Not just in making sure that they'd been safe in the first place, but in seeking justice too. So, if a press conference would be one of the things that would help, then naturally, I'd suck it up.

There was a knock at the door, and I straightened myself up again.

"Come in." I called.

The door opened, and a fresh-faced uniformed officer poked her head around.

"Come in properly." I admonished, though not harshly. "If I wasn't available, I would have said."

"R-right, sorry, Superintendent…."

The officer cautiously stepped in, remaining by the door.

"What is it then?" I asked.

"Oh, ah. Just that Kamiya-san is ready waiting in Special Interview Room B. Officers Yamazaki and Ito are with him."

"Good. You may inform them that I will be there soon."

Tetsuji Kamiya had been at the back of my mind until then, since when Evalynn had bought him in last night, he hadn't been making much sense. He'd been tested to see if he was drunk, but those had come back negative. In any case, it was not so much he was inebriated by alcohol, but by rage. Something about his encounter with Eizo and Azami had enraged him. Hopefully now that he had slept it off, I'd be able to get to the bottom of it. And perhaps talk some sense into him.

_Tetsuji stared through the window as slowly, his colleague pulled the sheet away from her face, folding it down carefully. Her face had not been affected by her cause of death, and was thus remarkably unmarked. But nonetheless, she looked unnatural, though those working on her had done a good job at making her presentable for this viewing. It was, of course, hardly a comfort to her parents. Or to me. But it was something. _

_The reactions from Moeka's parents was immediate and visceral. Hanami, standing next to Tetsuji, immediately clapped her hands over her mouth and made a strangled noise, the colour draining from her. Tetsuji, on the other hand, whirled around to me, furiously. _

"_Let me in there, Detective."_

"_I can't do that-"_

"_Why? You don't think I can handle it-this is my job, I've seen worse, I should be in there-"_

"_This is your daughter." I said briskly. "Your job is to be here."_

_Tetsuji glared. _

"_I need to see." He said, half-growling. "I need to see her in person."_

"_Tetsu-" _

_Hanami barely managed to finish murmuring her husband's name when he turned on her too. _

"_Don't tell me that this….this….remoteness is enough for you! Do you think it'd be enough for her? It's already bad enough neither of us could save her!" he admonished before turning back to me. "You'll be able to see me! Let me in."_

"_So, it's definitely her?" I cut into the tirade. _

_For a moment, the wind was taken out of his sails as he blinked at me. He seemed to wilt, shoulders drooping, eyes dark with sorrow. Then, his mouth curled into a snarl, and he stepped up again, the sorrow in his eyes now lit up with flashes of anger. _

"_Of course it's her. You knew that. Everyone here knows that. Now let me in."_

"_When can we have her?" Hanami asked as Tetsuji continued to rant. "I want to have the funeral for her."_

_I turned to Hanami, feeling guilty that her expression of grief was easier to deal with than Tetsuji's. _

"_I can't tell you at this stage, but we are working to make sure it will be as fast as possible for everyone once all identifications had been made."_

_I did not tell her that they were the one lucky ones, in this regard. _

The officer left, and I got up, retrieving a pocket recorder from my drawer. I made sure my papers were in order, and then headed down to Special Interview Room B. On my way, I decided to poke my head into the incident room to see how things were going.

When I got there, there were a couple of officers on the phone, apparently interviewing witnesses, while Juro was busily typing something at one of the computers. It was he who looked up.

"Hello, Detective." I said. "I assume that things are finished at the hospital."

"Yes, all the operations are finished, and they went smoothly. Detectives Kurosawa and Takamoto are interviewing the survivors as a group. Detective Dupont is talking to a relative of Class 78-B's homeroom teacher to try and ascertain where she currently is now-apparently she is somewhat off-grid-and Detective Matsu is trying to glean more information about the medical aspects of the trackers."

"The trackers themselves have been investigated?"

"Yes, they have. The Cyber Crimes department are looking to see if they have anything in their old cases about crimes involving surveillance, and I'm trying to see if there were any murder or abduction cases where the victims may have been tracked. So far I've only managed to find a family annihilation from the early 2010s, where a disconnected camera was left behind. Oh, and also…"

"Tell me."

Juro pulled a face, and explained how a tracker had been lost thanks to the actions of Takaaki Jinsai. I gave myself a moment to process this. I had not yet come to face with the adult Takaaki, but this was not completely surprising to me.

"_I'd argue this is a pointless exercise, wouldn't you?"_

"_Takaaki!" his mother scolded, before looking to me. "I'm so sorry, detective, it's ha-"_

_I waved off the apology, and met Takaaki's eyes evenly. The comment was laced with defiance, but looking at him, it was not defiance I saw. Not in the way he'd drawn his legs right up to his chest or the messy hair that he hadn't tied in the small ponytail that'd been prominent in all the photographs of him. Not in the way he was biting his lip so ferociously I was surprised it hadn't started bleeding yet. _

"_What do you mean by that?"_

_Takaaki gave a shrug, and spoke flatly. _

"_It doesn't change anything. They're still dead. And if everything you do is supposed to have a purpose, you may as well stop now, because there is no purpose to this. They're not coming back."_

_It was all too easy to read the subtext in that: _I wish they were_. Takaaki's mother was also taken aback, and for a moment, we were both silent. _

"I assume that the potential consequences of such foolish actions were explained to him." I said eventually.

"Yes, they were. He seemed chastened, in his own way, but for what it is worth there was no ill intent in it. I think he was just freaked out, so to speak, and reacted the only way he could think of."

"No, that seems reasonable to me." I said. "It may be worth probing those motives again should the trackers prove more relevant later, but for now we can let it go. After all, with the exception of Kimiko Tsukuda, we have lost the trackers of the victims, too. Let us just consider his a write-off in a similar manner."

"Yes, Superintendent."

"If you do manage to find cases with striking similarities with this one, send the list to me. In the meantime, I'll be in Special Interview B for a while, and then I will be going out to interview Kyosuke Munakata-since the school tours will be long over by then. Should anything urgent come up, I will most likely be contactable by mobile until I get back to the office before the press conference."

"Okay then, Superintendent."

I left Juro and the officers to it, and checking the time to make sure I had not taken too long in my quick stop-off, I headed to where Tetsuji was waiting.

"How has he been?" I asked the two officers.

"A bit grumpy," Ito said with a shrug. "But he wasn't saying much. I guess he's waiting to talk to you or an actual detective."

"I don't think he slept, either." Yamazaki added.

This didn't surprise me. The old police accommodation had never been particularly comfortable, merely functional. It had only been meant for exceptional circumstances when a detective or officer would be better placed staying at the station rather than going home for the night. It was better than a cell though, which I had briefly considered the night before but then decisively abandoned, hoping that it was as fair as my justifications claimed it to be and not just because of an old, deep-buried, almost forgotten sense of solidarity.

"Alright then. If you remain here, but allow me to take the lead."

The two officers nodded, and I stepped into the room, taking a seat on the sofa opposite the one Tetsuji was sitting on. It was a comfortable sofa and he'd certainly settled into it, but his face had settled into a deep scowl, and he was gripping a mug of tea extremely tightly.

"Kamiya-san." I said. "How are you?"

"How, exactly, do you think?" He snapped. "You're not _listening_ to me. No, you just waited an entire night, and now more time is being lost."

"With all due respect, you did not help the process with your behaviour." I said. "You surely know better than this. "

Tetsuji simply glowered at me, and I sighed heavily.

"Assaulting the survivors of this case and trying to insert yourself into the case is not going to speed up the investigation, as much as you may hope it will. It's only going to cause more disruption, and then our energies will be redirected from the investigation to deal with you." I told him, bluntly.

There was a part of me that wanted to remind him that the survivors were victims too, technically speaking. They were alive and breathing, but they had been victims. But they were alive, and now I had a child myself, I could imagine how such a comment could feel like a kick in the teeth. So I did not say anything. Instead, I sighed again.

"I am listening now, though. But before you tell me what you need to, I have to warn you that we may not be as lenient with you if you do something like this again. "

"Yes, yes, I know. I do want you to get on with it."

"So, what is it?" I asked. "Is it something that may have a bearing?"

"Yes? Aren't you going to record it?"

I simply took out my recorder and held it out to him. He nodded, satisfied, and then I set it on the table and turned it on. After going through the usual preliminaries, I asked him:

"What is it you felt the need to tell us so badly that you had to harass two survivors to get our attention?"

"I wasn't harassing them," Tetsuji paused, then shrugged. "Not to get your attention. But they wouldn't give me the time of day, even though they claimed to be friends with Moeka. And then that boy….that boy…."

Tetsuji broke off to cough. I gave him a moment to collect himself before continuing on calmly

"Presumably this is Eizo Amai?"

"Yes!" Tetsuji nodded. "He dared to insinuate that Moeka was a murderer."

…_.what? _

"I'm sorry, could you clarify what you mean?" I said.

"Exactly that! She was murdered herself and he had the absolute gall to suggest that she had murdered Akari Kishinami-one of her friends! Granted, Kimiko was her best friend, but I know she was close with the twins too, and this is Moeka, there's no way-it must be just some sort of diversionary tactic or-"

"Akari Kishinami?" I interrupted before Tetsuji could work himself up again. "He specifically claimed that it was Akari Kishinami who was killed by her?"

I closed my eyes very, very briefly, remembering the old incident board, and the way we had rearranged the photographs as more evidence came in and we were able to better understand the order in which the victims had died. I pictured Moeka's photograph-a separate one of her on her own, since using the one that had Kimiko in it would have confused things-and then recalled the pictures we'd settled on to have either side of her. Sayuri Fujimoto on one side…..and Akari on the other. Then, I opened my eyes and met Tetsuji's full-on. He blinked, taken aback, and nodded.

"Is that all they said?"

"Pretty much. He was shielding the girl, though. I noticed that."

"Alright."

For the sake of procedure, I rounded off the interview in the appropriate way, then stood up.

"I can assure that the comment will be looked into carefully. For now, finish your tea, and I'll let the officers take you back to where you are staying. But, please, do not cause any more trouble, alright?"

All I got from Tetsuji was a grunt, which I knew for now was the best I was going to get. Then, I went back up to the interview room to direct someone to get Eizo and Azami.


	21. Past and Future, part 1

_Mai_

When we got home, I changed my mind slightly. It'd probably be strange to cook completely from scratch when we were still getting to know each other again. Perhaps they wouldn't appreciate being made to get stuck in, the way that I had managed to do before. But there were things that we had in the freezer, I could defrost those. There were biscuits I could dig out, and carrots I could chop and serve with houmous.

_Oh, if only I'd made some baba ganoush_, I thought. It'd been a staple at the parties and picnics and things we'd had together as friends. Perhaps it would have served as a culinary memory prompt. Something to pull us back together again, because I could not help but be in two minds about this. The promise was for the best, it made sure that my children's' lives were not tainted by what had happened. But it had lost me my friends. All the things that I'd hoped for back then-_"You'll all be great 'aunts' or 'uncles' to my future kids. I can't wait for them to meet you all"_-because of twenty years ago, they'd never come to pass.

In any case, between that and some of the leftovers, I could cobble together a pretty good lunch. And that meant I could cook something new for tonight, even if it was only for me and Juro. I could cook, so I would be fine.

"So, erm, this is my living room," I said, "If you guys want to make yourselves comfortable then I'll bring you some snacks and drinks, and then I'll get onto lunch."

"Oh, I'll help you in the kitchen if you like." Friede offered. "Just like old times, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

I did my best to smile. Even though Friede had been what Eizo and some of the others had jokingly referred to as my 'partner in crime' (a title that had also been bestowed on Lilian because of our dancing), we'd really only started cooking together in earnest when we'd been trapped.

"_If we're making a chore rota, it probably goes without saying that you're cooking, right?"_

_Ayuna pointed to me lazily and I startled, blushing slightly. But I grinned. _

"_Of course!"_

"_We can hardly expect her to do it by herself for all twenty of us," Eikichi pointed out. "Some of us will need to assist, so we can make sure there's a rota of assistants."_

"_I'll help with kitchen stuff if you want." Friede offered. "That's alright, isn't it Sadie-chan?"_

"_Sure!" I said. "You can be my sous chef!"_

"_I'll help as well!" Azami offered. _

When Azami made the offer here in the present, her voice overlapped with past-Azami in my head as well, and I had to blink to clear the memory. Her voice here was more subdued than the one back then, with its undertone of laughter and joy even in such a trying time. When I managed it though, my smile this time was easier to manage. It was so hard to recall an Azami back then who'd been lively and engaged, since with Akari as fifth to die and the third victim, she'd spent more of our captivity in the semi-catatonic state than not.

"Of course. I'm mostly heating up leftovers and things, so it'll be fine. Anyway, what would you all like to drink?"

I took their requests, and then with Friede and Azami I headed to the kitchen, while the other four lounged in the living room.

"What can we do?"

I took some carrots out from the fridge and handed them to Friede, then pointed to where the chopping board and knife were.

"The things you'll need are there, could you chop the carrots into sticks, Free…" I hesitated. "Um, it's alright to call you that?"

Friede shrugged heavily.

"I like it, but it's not so…." She trailed off and then sighed. "It's not so me anymore. Just Friede is fine though."

"Alright then," I said before turning to Azami. "Azami-chan, could you organise the drinks? Do you remember what everyone asked for?"

Azami shrugged, then recited the drinks in order. I smiled at her.

"Thought so. All the juices and whatnot are in the fridge, the water's over there, ice cubes in the freezer and so on."

"The glasses."

"Oh yeah, of course. Cupboard over there." I indicated.

Azami nodded, and then while they got on with what I'd directed them to do, I busied myself with taking things out of the fridge and freezer, finding trays and warming things up.

_I finished tying the bandage in place and then stepped back, studying Ayuna. She was subdued, and stared at her now bandaged arm. For a long moment, she didn't say anything. _

"_Does it still hurt?" I asked. "It probably will, for a little while. But that's the only injury that will scar."_

_Ayuna laughed bitterly, and reached up to touch the plasters on her face, then the ones on her hands, before returning to looking at the bandage on her arm. Then, she sighed, and looked at me. _

"_You're going to say that I shouldn't have done that."_

"_You were lucky the other boys got you out. It could have been…" I let out a shaky breath. "So much worse."_

"_Geez, I know, Hanamura chewed me out already." Ayuna huffed. "But how could I not? How could I not try?"_

_I opened my mouth, closed it again. Ayuna let out another bitter laugh, lips twisting. _

"_I'm not going to try and excuse the fact she killed Yuri. How could I? But…she was still Seiko, goddamnit. So…fuck Hanamura, telling me it was pointless. Do you really expect that I could've just stood there, and watched."_

_I closed my eyes in pity for a moment. The explosions flashed behind my eyes, as much an aftershock as they were a memory. The thought of being able to just dive in there, without thought, no matter how dear the person in there was to me…. _

"_Bearing witness is still something though, right?" I asked, softly, opening my eyes again. _

_Ayuna simply shook her head. She looked as if she was pitying me, and then exhaustion swept over her, and her features downturned. She got up. _

"_Maybe for you. Thanks for patching me up, Sades. I'll see you later." _

"_Oh, Ao-"_

_Ayuna was gone before I could say anything else. I sighed, and packed away the first aid kit before looking over at Azami, who'd been standing in the corner the whole time. Completely still, not blinking. _

"_Come, Azami-chan," I said, going to guide her. "Let's get something to drink, 'kay?"_

"I've done everything, have you got a tray?" Azami asked me.

I blinked, trying hard to not gawp at her, though it was hard not to, considering how different she was now. Seeing her functioning was a little bit how I'd felt whenever I'd been able to do something for anyone. How it felt being able to be a good mother to Akio and Sachi. I shook the thought away and smiled, finding one of the trays.

"Yes, here."

I handed over the pink floral patterned tray to her and then continued what I was doing. I sensed Azami put all the glasses on the tray and then leave.

"You haven't changed, have you?" Friede said. "Always cooking. It's nice."

"It helps me. It helped me. But even so, I always liked it." I said. "Plus, I have the children to cook for, too."

"Oh yeah, I saw the photographs." Friede asked, a touch of wistfulness in her voice. "The boy looks a little like you, though your little girl has your eyes. How old?"

"My son, Akio, is 16. Sachi is 9." I hesitated, remembering what Friede had shared in a single stark message. "Your son…how old was he?"

"He would be 16."

"You lost a child?"

This softly-uttered question came from Azami, who had returned without me noticing. She seemed to be regarding the two of us with curiosity, and also a little compassion. Friede also glanced over at her, gritted her teeth, and nodded in response to her question.

"Two years ago. But that's not really what I want to talk about. Not now."

"Oh!" Azami blinked, taken aback. "I'm sorry, Heiwa-san."

"Oh, no, of course, sorry!" I exclaimed. "I can imagine…well, not exactly, but I know loss."

It didn't matter that the children I had lost hadn't even had a chance to be born, that they were so young that some may not have even considered them children at all. I could, at least on the basic level, understand what it was to lose a child. _Which means you understand how it felt for all their parents, back then. And how much worse it is for them because they don't know why. _

As I tried very hard to not think that, Friede shook her head, laughed bitterly. For a moment, her face creased, but just as quickly her expression became smooth again and she smiled at me.

"It's fine," she said. "It's not your fault. Tell me about them. Akio, and Sachi."

There was something pleading in her tone, so I obliged. I told her about how quiet and thoughtful Akio was, and how Sachi was an impulsive ball of energy in contrast, how they still managed to get on really well in spite of that and the age difference. I talked about Sachi's inability to master the indoor voice and her love of all things sweet and colourful, I talked about how clever Akio was and the animation stuff he did. I sidestepped the fact that he'd been invited to Hope's Peak, that he was there today. Instead, I did what any mother did, ramble about all the virtues of my lovely children as if they were the most amazing, angelic children to exist. Because of course to me they were.

When I stopped, Friede and Azami exchanged a look, both of them smiling.

"They sound like nice kids." Azami said.

"Yeah, they do." Friede agreed. "It would be nice to meet them."

_No, no, I can't. _

"_You'll all be great 'aunts' or 'uncles' to my future kids. I can't wait for them to meet you all"-_

_But I can't, I can't. _

"Maybe another time." I said. "I…erm, will have to think of a way to explain you all to them, particularly to Sachi."

"That seems fair," Friede said. "After all, it'd be hard to explain the investigation to a little one, and I'm sure you wouldn't want her to be worried or scared. "

"Mhm." I said neutrally.

"You seem like a natural at it," Azami noted wistfully. "Being a mother. Then again, you had good practise in it, didn't you? It seemed like you'd do almost anything for us, care-wise."

"Yep, that was Sa-ah, Mai-san, loyal to the very end."

_Loyal to the end_. The words caught in my mind, and I glanced at Friede in panic. Was she thinking of what we'd decided back then, the thing that we never did follow through on? I hoped not. I could barely think about it, and if anyone were to ever know…

"_This seems like a reckless place to leave it though." Friede frowned. _

"_No, no," I insisted. "It makes the most sense. After all, we decided that food was…."_

_I gulped, not able to finish the sentence. What sort of a person was I, to decide on something like this? If the others were to find out, then…_

"_The best method?" Takaaki finished bluntly for me. "Yes, but it's not going to be much use if someone discovers it here before we can use it."_

"_This is my space though," I gestured around at the kitchen space. "I know where things should be, how they should be. I can make sure it doesn't get seen, even if I have others helping me. And in truth, with not so many people left now, I don't even need that much kitchen help."_

"_And if we keep going like this, there'll be even less help that you need." Takaaki stated, bluntly. _

"_Exactly." I said. _

_Friede and Takaaki frowned at me. Takaaki tapped his foot absently, and Friede bit her lip, but eventually, she nodded. _

"_Alright, fair enough. Kitchen it is. Alright?"_

"_Sure." Takaaki shrugged. "Sure."_

In the present, Friede laughed and shrugged.

"Yeah, you were a natural at the mothering thing even back then. You're so lucky."

"I'm sure that you were a good mother too." I reassured quickly.

Friede shook her head, and something in her face told me not to press further. Quickly, I gathered the tray with the biscuits, carrot sticks, houmous and other snacks that I'd warmed up.

"Let's go out and enjoy these while everything else is warming in the oven." I said. "Okay?"

Friede nodded hesitantly, and then the three of us left the kitchen for the time being.

**…**

_Takaaki_

For a moment after Azami left the drinks with us, there was nothing but silence as the four of us stared at each other. We'd exhausted obligatory 'are you alright' questions and tell-us-about-your-fiancée-Hanamura small talk. So now, we were just sitting there. Silence being awkward was just a social construct, or so I told myself, so I did a pretty good job of staring them down while they twitched. Eventually, though, Ayuna was the first to break the silence. I was glad of it, despite my determination to pretend the silence didn't matter.

"So, Jinsai…what happened with the ear?" she asked.

"He went and cut his tracker out himself." Eikichi interrupted with irritation.

Both Ayuna and Eizo gawped at me in astonishment.

"You did _what_?"

"Yes, I took it out myself. Yes, I didn't think about it. It hardly matters now, we've all got them out now."

"Yes, but we had them removed safely." Eikichi reiterated. "Still, as you say, it's done now."

"That isn't something I'd ever have thought of doing, but you know what, I get it." Eizo said, unexpectedly. "I mean, to think that we had them in all these years…without any inkling whatsoever."

"Yeah, it is pretty freaky." Ayuna agreed.

"I really want to know how and when we would have had them put in. I mean, I don't remember anything that could…." Eizo bit his lip, looked down at his drink, then back up at us. "All I remember before we woke up there is…well, you know."

_There was a sudden cacophony of mock-groans and laughter. _

"Kirin_? _Kirin_? Jeez, you're terrible at Shiratori!" Ayuna teased. _

"_Sorry, sorry," Katsuya said with embarrassment. . "My brain went blank. Let's try again."_

"_You know what would be really challenging?" Akari asked. "Doing Shiratori with English words."_

"_English?" Kimiko asked curiously. "That sounds interesting. It'd work better if we used letters rather than syllables though."_

"_Oh man, English spelling! My English is terrible!" Katsuya moaned. _

"_Maybe you should sit out, then." Ayuna retorted. _

"_Oh no, let him have a try anyway!" Azami laughed. _

"_Alright then, so now that's us lot from before, Tsukuda, and…."_

"_I'm in." I said casually, looking up from my book. I was starting to feel a little motion-sick anyway. _

"_Nice!" Ayuna declared. "So, um…..Akari, you start?"_

"_Me, why me?"_

"_You came up with the idea!"_

"_What's that car doing?" _

_Sadie's question stopped us short, and for a moment it was completely quiet. I was sitting on the other side of the mini-van, so I couldn't see what she and some of the others were looking at. All of a sudden though, Fumiaki pulled over to the side of the motorway. _

"_What the fuck was that?" Sen'ya said. "They could have crashed!"_

_All of a sudden, there was a clamour of noise as some of the others unbuckled their belts and moved forward, while we all asked questions, most of which were variations of :what was going on? Peering between my friends, I could see from the front window that there was a car parked in front of us, at a haphazard angle, as if it'd pulled in to block us. _

"_I'm going to check if they're alright," Fumiaki called out over the clamour. _

"_Yes, that's a good idea," Moeka said. "They might need our help. Katsuya-kun, come on."_

"_What, me?"_

"_Yes, you." It was said playfully though, and Katsuya grinned before obliging. _

_A few of the others went to sit back down, but I remained standing, watching as a man open the door of this other car and peer out. Fumiaki, Moeka and Katsuya left the mini-van, and the man got out, meeting them halfway, and thus half-disappearing from my sight. _

"_I wonder what's happening?" Yuri mused. _

"_Oh, they're coming ba-"_

"_What is it, Sadie-san?" Kimiko asked. "What's wrong?"_

_She came back up behind me, but soon got her answer as Moeka and Katsuya stumbled back into the van, looking pale. Fumiaki also followed, though he only hovered by the driver's seat. He looked pale too, and his eyes were wide, mouth slightly open. _

"_Get back in your seats, back in your seats now!"_

_The voice belonged to a stranger, and that stranger came into view. The man that had been in the car. Except now that he was here, he was glaring at us over his face-mask, and brandishing a gun. _

"_Move!" he yelled, pointing it directly at me. "I don't want to have to use this so soon, but I will if you don't get back into your seats."_

_Kimiko touched my shoulder briefly. I glanced over my shoulder to see she'd already turned away to scramble back into her seat, and then I looked again at the man. At the gun. I wasn't close enough to see into the barrel. But all the same. I gulped, and then sank back down in my seat, wondering what was going to happen next. _

I realised that I had tensed my shoulders during this recollection, and I forced myself to remember how to breathe.

"I remember that…and straight after…but then it's complete blank."

_Straight after. _Even with Eizo beating around the bush like that, it was obvious what he meant. It didn't bear thinking about.

"Yes, well, it's clear that it has to have happened at some point during that blank." Eikichi said, stiffly, sipping at his water.

"The point is when, though?" Eizo persisted. "I really want to know that. I just….don't you ever wonder things, sometimes? About how and why things turned out as they did?"

"No, _actually_."

Eikichi's voice was stiff, and I raised an eyebrow. I recognised a deflector when I saw one. After all, I was one too, when it suited me. He was trying to not think about it at all, so that way, he wouldn't need to be haunted by the wondering. But I knew full well it didn't really work, and I was sure that he did, too. No matter his stiff voice and haughty posture trying to convince him and us otherwise.

Eikichi noticed my raised eyebrow and glared. I just stared back, pretending to be serene.

"Anyway," Ayuna said, clapping her hands once, decisively. "Jinsai. You were always doing weird things, weren't you? Like, when you got in with Hatakawayama and Komiya, the number of pranks you did and claimed were social experiments."

"Some of them _were_ social experiments." I protested.

Indeed, recollections of some of those prank/social experiment ideas were ones I'd incorporated into my own classes now. That meant something, but I was a philosopher, not a psychologist.

"Turning the entire classroom into a table fort was a social experiment?" Eikichi asked with scepticism.

"Of course," I said casually. "Who is to say that the so-called traditional classroom set up is the most superior one in which to allow learning to take place?"

Eikichi muttered something under his breath, and Ayuna grinned toothily.

"That was funny, though. The siblings went all out decorating too," she recalled, referring to Yuki and Yuri.

"I thought it was someone's birthday that we'd forgotten."

"Do you remember sensei's face when she walked in?" Eizo asked.

"What, Sonoda-sensei?" Ayuna asked.

"Yes…"

"I'd forgotten her name." Ayuna shrugged in response to Eizo's bemusement. "But yeah. I'd never seen such flabbergasted confusion in my life."

"Whose name had you forgotten?"

Mai, Friede and Azami walked back in, and Mai set down the tray of various snacks before taking her own drink. The other two also retrieved their drinks, with Friede grabbing a biscuit as well. I immediately leaned over to take a handful of carrot sticks and dipped them liberally in the houmous. Some of it dripped in my hands, but I wasn't too bothered.

"Jinsai-kun, take a plate!" Mai urged, handing me a small saucer.

I took it simply to indulge her, but left it on the carpet next to me.

"We were talking about Jinsai's pranks-slash-social-experiments." Eizo said with a small chuckle. "And then we just thought of Sonoda-sensei, our homeroom teacher."

"She was nice." Friede said mildly. "It was her first year of proper teaching, wasn't it?"

"Was it?" Mai asked curiously. "I don't remember that at all."

"She was young though, from what I remember." Eikichi said slowly. "I guess that would make sense."

"I just remember she wasn't a former SHSL, which was unusual." Ayuna said thoughtfully.

"Not all the staff back then were former students." Friede pointed out.

"No, but all the other homeroom teachers were, and most of the other higher up staff. Anyone who was a head of anything. Apart from the actual head himself. Funny, that."

"What happened to her?" Azami asked.

"What do you mean, what happened to her?" Eikichi asked.

Azami shrugged, blushing slightly.

"Just that, really."

"Come to think of it, I don't know." Eizo said slowly. "I don't remember seeing her around or getting a message from her or anything when we were rescued. Principal Kirigiri did, didn't he? But not Sonoda-sensei."

"Huh." Ayuna said. "You're right."

I frowned, thinking. We had received a lot of correspondence from well-wishers, a lot from other students and staff from Hope's Peak. I remembered seeing the notes from Principal Kirigiri and that advisor dude of his. There'd been something faintly off about them. I couldn't remember the words now, but they'd seemed insincere, obligatory. Demanding, underneath it, but I wasn't sure what it was they'd _been_ demanding. I'd binned it, in any case. Ripped it and binned it. I hadn't wanted to know.

"I didn't think ghosting us was something that she'd do. She seemed so nice." Friede said. "I liked her."

"Yeah." I spoke up. "I did, too."

It occurred to me then that perhaps we needed the police as much as they needed us to find out the truth. If only to answer questions such as these. But there was so much I couldn't bear to think about, let alone talk about. So much that couldn't be revealed.

_I wonder, do they even remember? That decision that never came to be? _

"But yeah, " Ayuna said. "Those pranks. Didn't you guys switch all the chairs for yoga balls and space hoppers once? That was epic."

"We also taped our school photographs to mannequins and sat them at our desks, remember?" Eizo laughed.

"And the googly eyes." I remembered. "Those two decided to stick googly eyes on everything in the homeroom once. And they managed to track down different sizes of the properly sticky ones as well."

"Nanakai-kun got involved in that one, didn't he?" Azami remembered. "I think he just found it funny."

"He didn't want to take the googly eyes off of his desk or chair afterwards." Ayuna said, nodding. "I think Komiya gave him some of the leftovers so he could put them on things in his room."

Eizo, Mai and Friede laughed softly along with Ayuna at this, Azami smiled, as did I. Eikichi did not quite manage a full smile, but the edges of his mouth quirked up slightly. For a moment, we sat there, remembering. But then, once again, the pause stretched out and became a silence. The minutes ticked past, we sipped our drinks and nibbled at snacks, gave each other sideways glances. Yet, nobody picked up the conversation.

"_Honestly, if this isn't proof that time isn't real then what is?" I declared. _

"_What do you mean?" Kimiko asked curiously._

"_Well," I said, gesturing to the practically-dying fire. "We're sitting in front of a campfire. People have done that for millennia, literally. Even before they could literally be people."_

_Kimiko raised an eyebrow. _

"_I wouldn't interpret that as a case against time, just that some things are universal." She answered. "After all, humans are social creatures, right? Doesn't necessarily mean we want to be surrounded by them all the time, but we need to be connected to others. Right?"_

"_Okay, and the fire is a symbol of that or something?"_

"_It's an easy way of connecting people, isn't it? Gathering around, sharing warmth, stories and food." _

"_Ehhh." I considered this. "You may have a point. But I still maintain time isn't real."_

"_HEY!" Sen'ya called out from where the minivan was. "You're meant to be putting the fire out! We have to go!"_

_Kimiko shook her head at me, but smiled. She got up, the side of her arm lightly brushing mine as she did so. She looked around for a long stick to spread around the sticks we'd used. I got up and joined her, and then we both poured water over it before spreading the ashes, and repeating until it was completely out, just as Moeka had read and instructed us. _

"_Ready?" I asked with a smile. _

"_Sure." Kimiko smiled back. _

_And together, we walked over to where the others were waiting for us. _

I sighed and stretched. Things had been so different. I knew we couldn't get back to how it was back then. There'd be no more carefree pranks and discussions by campfires or group birthday parties. But, could there be something else?

"Oh, um, I guess now would be a good time to mention this." Eizo said suddenly. "But I'm helping them out."

"What?" I blinked at Eizo, confused.

"I'm sorry, could you back up?" Ayuna asked quizzically. "Who are you helping?"

"Erm…"

Eizo pulled a face, but then sighed, running a hand through his hair before answering:

"New Hope's Peak."

"WHAT?"

This came from Eikichi, Ayuna and Mai, the former two looking astonished and the latter's eyes wide and shocked, slightly worried. I just gawped, as did Friede.

"But why?" Mai half-whispered.

"Yes, why?" Eikichi asked, icily. "You know what happened there, and what could happen."

"But _that's_ why, though." Eizo said.

"I don't get it." Friede stated.

"Yes, I don't understand either." Eikichi agreed. "Are you out of your mind?"

"No, of course not. But-we were talking about the pranks and stuff, earlier, right? And how we liked Sonoda-sensei? Good memories."

"Yes….?" Friede said, sceptically.

"They happened, too. The bad stuff happened, but so did all that good stuff. And that's what we should have had-just the good things. Those kids, they deserve to have a school life where their dominant memories are the good things, not something as an addition, as a 'despite'. You know?"

There was a hesitant pause. Ayuna nodded slowly at that.

"I guess that makes sense. " she said, slowly.

"How are you helping, exactly?" Mai asked, tense and on guard.

"Well, you know I'm in the security business, right?" Eizo asked quickly, continuing on before gaining an answer. "But it's not just locks and alarms and bodyguards and stuff, but also safeguarding procedures, in schools. Things to do to make the school more secure, so that there's protection from abuse, so that everyone who is in the building is a safe person and allowed to go there, so that pastoral care is a priority…that kind of thing."

"Oh yeah, of course. Duh!" Ayuna said. "You mentioned that when we reconnected."

"You reconnected?" Friede asked. "When?"

"Oh, a couple of years back." Ayuna said. "Only sporadically till now, though?"

"…what about the promise?"

"What _about_ it?"

Ayuna fixed Eikichi with a steely gaze-not quite a glare, but close enough to one. Eikichi stared back, and then his shoulders sagged and he sighed.

"That sounds like the kind of idealistic viewpoint you'd have."

This was directed at Eizo, who blinked in surprise, and then stammered.

"Um, is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Eikichi shook his head tiredly.

"It means I really can't be bothered to chew you out. If I had any control, after all, I wouldn't even be here."

This sentiment seemed to take a life of its own, hovering in the air between us. No doubt, it was the truth for many of us. Alright, so Ayuna and Eizo had apparently been talking, which was pretty interesting though not surprising-I dimly recalled Ayuna having been reluctant to agree to the promise at all. But would any of us have ever talked to each other, ever again, if not for this? Would we had eventually taken the continuing years as a signal that perhaps everything would be fine and gradually relaxed? Or would each year had been something to push us apart ever further, weakening our connection until finally, in some distant future, we withered and died. All our memories, everything we'd shared, not just the bad but the good, put out like that campfire?

Kimiko's face flashed in my mind, and I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to keep the faint image behind my eyelids. But it fluttered and faded, eventually disappearing. I bit my lip, tried not to give in to the inexplicable urge to cry, and opened my eyes.

"Alright," Mai said. "I think lunch should be ready to eat now. I think we need it."

**…**

_Akio_

"Look yeah, this entire thing was my idea, so obviously we should go back to my house."

"Yes, but I'm a proper investigator, unlike you. I have actual resources you can tap into."

"Ahem, you really think I'm gonna bring my box over to your poky place."

"My place isn't poky, it's discreet. There's a difference, not that I'd expect you to understand that."

"Man, you guys are kinda hot when you argue." Mitsuhide butted into this unnecessarily.

"SHUT UP."

For a brief moment both Rieka and Otsuka were united in their disdain of Mitsuhide, but considering we'd been going through similar cycles for the last 10 minutes or so, I knew it was unlikely to work. And sure enough, a few seconds later, Rieka turned to Otsuka, retorted to her last comment and the spat continued.

Next to me, Mitsuhide visibly sagged, but only for a few seconds.

"I was hoping to break the tension, but oh well. I guess when the ladies have to argue, there's no stopping them."

"I'm not sure what you were expecting, considering your strategy didn't work the last two times you tried it." Ritsuka pointed out, dryly.

Mitsuhide opened his mouth, but then closed it abruptly, apparently having no response to give. I couldn't blame him. Ritsuka's expression had barely changed during her blunt response. It was hard to read her. Then again, most of them were hard to read, in that we were all still new to each other.

"Perhaps one of us should try something." Akagi murmured next to me.

"But what, though?" I asked aloud.

"I would suggest my house, "Akemi responded. "There's enough space, but at least one of my parents will be home, because sometimes they do work from home."

Ritsuka nodded thoughtfully, as did Mitsuhide, but I gave Akemi a look. _That's not the whole story, is it? _I noticed her subtly adjust her top, as though it was uncomfortable, but quickly looked away before I added to the discomfort myself.

"Well then, what on earth should we do?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Why not my place? It's not far, and neither of my parents will be home."

Both Rieka and Otsuka turned to stare at me. The words had come out on impulse, and I blushed.

"They won't?" Otsuka asked briskly.

"Well, no, they're at….work."

This was true, at least for Dad. Still, I couldn't help but hesitate. _Why did I even….? _There was a part of me that thought maybe even this would be too much. But Mum was still with the police, and Dad was the police, and Sachi was with Kanon and Naomi. _Besides, _I reasoned to myself. _It won't be long. I can get them out of there before Mum or Dad get home, and then after today we can meet at someone else's place. _Realising that they were all waiting for further elaboration from me, I quickly scrambled to find a response of some sort.

"Yeah, they're at work and my little sister's with friends, so the house'll be empty. It's not huge, but my room should suffice just for a quick thing."

"Neato!" Rieka said. "After all, we just need a place to temporarily regroup and work out our strategy, and then from that point we can use my room as the official headquarters, so to speak."

Otsuka opened her mouth to protest at this, but Akemi quickly piped up.

"Perhaps the headquarters, such as they are, could be split between the two bases. Jihara-san's, and Amasaki-san's. That could prove useful for when we need to do things in smaller groups, and having information in two places means we've got a backup."

"Huh." Otsuka raised an eyebrow at Akemi. "That's smart thinking, I like that. You can never be too cautious in situations like this. I say let's do it that way."

Rieka pulled a face, but then sighed.

"Sure, whatever."

With that thankfully settled, I led the way and we all set off. Mitsuhide tried to keep up some small talk, asking us about interests and school, and shamelessly attempting to charm the girls. Though, in different ways, none of them were really having it. So apart from that, we didn't really talk much. All the while though, apprehension was mounting in my stomach.

_It's fine, they're not there, it won't be for long. _

"Here we are." I said as we turned onto my road, gesturing to where my house was.

"Oh, cool." Rieka replied.

I sped up a little, and headed to my front door. I fumbled for my keys and took a breath, before putting it in the lock and then turning. I opened the door wide, and stepped in.

"I'm ba-"

I started calling out of habit, then stopped as my gaze travelled to where I'd leave my shoes and noticed that there were extra pairs of shoes, only the strappy sandals recognisable to me. They all looked like adults' shoes, ranging from ratty trainers to neat patent shoes. Altogether, I counted seven pairs of shoes. But as I gawped at them, trying to work out whose they were, I heard someone call me.

"Akio? What are you doing here?"

I looked up to see my mother look around the kitchen door. Her eyes were wide and tremulous, and as she stepped into the hallway I realised she wasn't alone. There were others, including a tall imposing man with icy-blue eyes, and a diminutive blond woman.

"Is that your son?" the blond woman asked.

"Yes. But I thought…Akio?"

I stared at them, then looked back at my new classmates-to-be behind me, all of them staring with undisguised curiosity. Then, the realisation hit me.

_I've made a mistake._


	22. Past and Future, part 2

**It's officially the first anniversary of Our Ghosts Return! Woooo! Unfortunately I couldn't put something special together like a double update or anything, but I'm sure getting the next chapter is fun enough. =D. So, yeah, hope you enjoy it, and here's to the rest of the story! No idea how long it will take to finish, but finish it will and I hope you'll all enjoy it!**

* * *

_Akio_

"Mum?"

"You're not supposed to be here, I thought you were going to stay with a schoolfriend…"

"I…"

I blinked, and looked at the other adults behind her again. The diminutive blond woman looked a bit like Akagi, something in the face structure I couldn't quite pin down. There was a man who was also blond,-though of a brighter, more golden shade- and I quickly realised that he was Eizo Amai, who had been at New Hope's Peak. The security man.

"You managed to slip that one past me, didn't you?"

Before I could formulate an appropriate reply to Mum, Otsuka clapped my shoulder, making me jump. I startled and looked at her, but she'd already stepped away from me, and was riffling in her bag for something. Soon enough though, she pulled out a small card holder, and from that she pulled out business cards.

"Hold on, what are you doing?" Mitsuhide asked.

"I'm giving them my business cards." Otsuka said, unfazed. "Even I can appreciate that now isn't the best time to conduct a full, proper interview. Though I do wish that we had managed to catch you before you'd left, Amai-san."

The blond-haired man blinked for a moment, before his dark blue eyes filled with comprehension and he smiled at all of us.

."Ah, you're all students-to-be, of course. Your mother mentioned it," he said, gesturing to me. "So you must be…"

"Otsuka Jihara, soon-to-be SHSL Journalist, at your service."

"Oh and I, of course, am Mitsuhide Okita, Ultimate Audiobook Narrator. You've probably heard of my work, Velvet King. Charmed I'm sure, I mean who wouldn't be, when in my presence?"

Otsuka rolled her eyes at him, and I heard Rieka snort, conveying a similar sort of sentiment. Mitsuhide for his part didn't seem too fazed.

"Anyway," Otsuka said. "If you want to get your story out there, then do come to talk to me. I'm sure the police are doing their level best, but sometimes, well, a different perspective is needed.-"

"We don't need your services."

This came from the icy-blue-eyed man. Otsuka blinked, and took a step back.

"Well, if it rests your mind, Hanamura-san, I am not simply looking for a scoop, or to simply spread sensationalist guff. I'm interested in the truth. Nothing more, nothing less. And with two of your children on my team, I would definitely ensure that I am sensitive in handling your case."

"Hold on a minute, two?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Yes, two?" Otsuka turned on him. "You really are stupid sometimes, aren't you? Benbow's mum is here."

She indicated the blond woman and I mentally face-palmed. _Of course_. I don't know why my brain had not made the connection between what I was seeing and what I knew. I turned to look at Akagi, who hadn't said a word all this time. Neither had Ritsuka or Akemi, but that was a different matter.

"Is that true?" Rieka asked Akagi.

To this, Akagi simply nodded stiffly. Akemi gave him a concerned glance, and then looked to me. I pulled a face, and shrugged, before looking back at Mum.

"It is true," the blond haired woman said. "I did indeed give birth to _Mistletoe_ there. But don't let that stop you doing what needs to be done."

Her mouth twisted, almost a smile, but far too bitter for that. I shivered.

"Mum…" Akagi finally spoke, and his voice sounded strained.

"Too late for that, isn't it? You may as well move on, ruin this little consortium of yours as well."

"Akio, please….you can't…..you can't be wanting to…"

"I just…I just want to help…"

"But you can't, you're just a kid." Mum pleaded, wringing her hands.

"You were children yourself though, when this all happened to you."

Now, apparently, it was Akemi's turn to speak up. She looked at all of them with such sympathy, that something in Eikichi Hanamura's eyes seemed to soften, and he didn't seem so icy.

"Yes, well…I'm sure you all mean well, but we're not talking to the media at the moment, and that does include you, unfortunately."

"Akio, _please_. I didn't want you all to meet like this…"

_You never wanted us to meet at all though, did you? _I had no resentment at this realisation, but even so. _Will all this distress be worth it in the end? It has to be, right?_

"Maybe we'll get to talk another time," Eizo said suddenly. "It would be nice to, particularly with you two. Mai always said that she would have liked us to be part of your lives, back before everything happened."

Eizo gestured to me and to Akagi. I blinked, confused for a moment, before simply opting to smile and nod.

"It's okay, Arisato-san, Amai-san, Anabuki-san, Hanamura-san, Kishinami-san, Jinsai-san, Aozaki-san." Akemi said, just as softly, addressing each of the adults. "We'll leave now."

"We'll what?"

Otsuka gave her a death-stare, but Akemi wasn't deterred. Instead, she continued to smile sweetly as she continued to talk to the adults.

"We'll leave you all in peace. I hope that we haven't caused too much distress."

"No, no, that's fine, I'm sure you meant well, right?" Eizo said.

"Yeah," I said. "We were just going to hang out, we didn't mean to…"

"I'll let you out, then." Mai said quickly, interrupting. "Stay safe, alright, Akio?"

"Yeah. I'll need to come back later, get some things together, will that be alright?" I asked.

"Oh yes, yes."

"Alright then….you stay safe too, alright?"

Then, Mum practically herded us out of the door, and closed it behind us.

…

_Akemi_

"What the hell was _that_?"

I looked evenly at Otsuka, pretending that I wasn't rattled by what had been going on in there. I was sure that things would have ended up more puzzling and distressing if we'd stayed longer. None of the survivors were in a state to be able to talk, not when we'd ambushed them like that, no matter how unintentional it had been.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I didn't even get to give them my details!" Otsuka said. "That was my chance."

"I am sure there will be plenty of chances as things go on." I said, conciliatorily. "But that wasn't the time to do it."

"Shouldn't we be more concerned about getting ourselves together?" Ritsuka said. "I thought that was the point of us finding a place to go?"

"Girl has a point." Rieka shrugged. "Let's go to mine, then I can show you my uncle's stuff. It'll have notes about what he thought of each of the survivors. Something for you to target your questioning with."

Rieka crossed her arms briefly, giving a smug little smile. Otsuka narrowed her eyes at her, and for a moment I was sure that she was going to argue this point again. But eventually, she just shrugged.

"Sure, okay, whatever."

…

_Friede_

I could tell, from the moment Mistletoe and the group of kids who'd no doubt taken pity on him had left, that they wouldn't understand. I hadn't expected Mai to understand, not someone like her, so impossibly soft, who'd wanted nothing more than parenthood even back then. But I'd known she'd at least understand the other side of it-what it meant to lose a child. I think she still did. But…

But all of them, as a whole. I had hoped, beyond all hopes, that they'd get it. That they'd understand how fragile everything was, how fragile we all were. That they'd see it was better this way, that widening the gap between me and him was _better_, for all of us. At least he wouldn't be killed for what he'd done to Lucius. At least I wouldn't have to…

_No, no. I couldn't think of that. I couldn't._

But either way, I'd hoped they'd see. Somehow, miraculously. It was silly of me, but I thought that even though we'd been apart for so long, at the very least we'd be linked by what had happened to us. That it would give…oh, I don't know. Something. Anything. But it didn't matter what it was I'd been hoping for, because it had not happened. All I'd seen on their faces was varying levels of incomprehension. Shock. Judgement.

So, let them judge. Let them.

…

_Azami_

As the door shut behind the kids, we simply stared at it for a moment. Then, slowly, Mai moved to lock it. Even with her back turned to us, the trembling in her hands was clear.

"Are you alright?" Ayuna asked in concern.

Mai didn't respond for a moment, but then she turned around, and her eyes were shiny with tears.

"I didn't want them to know." She said, simply.

"Know?" Eizo asked, blinking, before he remembered. "About twenty years ago?"

Mai simply nodded at that.

"Yeah. It was one good thing, about the promise. When I was pregnant, with Akio…" here, Mai paused and looked to the door again. "I decided there and then, that nothing bad would ever happen to any of my children. And that included any spill-over from…what happened. I didn't want any of them to be hurt by it. It was bad enough, that we were."

_Any of them _seemed a strange way of describing two children. But then again, what would I know about that? Perhaps Mai had just been talking generally, about how she'd thought back then when she was about to become a mother for the first time. Still, I could understand what she meant, at the same time as envying her for it. How had she been so sure that she would have been able to make sure they wouldn't have been tainted by it, when surely the entire experience coloured everything, absolutely everything.

"But if he was picked…" Eikichi pointed out.

"I know." Mai shook her head. "I know. But Juro said, that the school itself wasn't actually going to be opened until April, and that at this point there was no way of knowing if the two things would be connected. And Akio…well, I couldn't hide it, the bare facts of it, not after everything hit the news. But I don't think he sees it, the problems. He just thinks it'll be an interesting experience, that he'll get to make new friends. But there's no way of making him understand without making things worse."

"Well, he certainly seemed like he's been making friends already," Eizo said.

"He's a teenager," Eikichi pointed out bluntly. "He's capable of looking things up, after all."

Mai simply bit her lip.

"I know. But…"

"It's okay, I think it's understandable. Key word there being think, considering I don't really know how the whole parenting thing goes." Ayuna shrugged. "Speaking of which…"

All of a sudden, she turned to Friede, who had been standing with Takaaki, both of them completely silent since the kids had left.

"What was _that_, Heiwa?" she asked. "All that 'mistletoe' stuff and those weird comments. What was that? The kid's your son, right?"

"I thought you said your son died?" Mai asked, distracted momentarily by confusion.

Friede looked over at her, face almost carefully blank.

"That was my other son. My Lucius. This one…well."

At this, her mouth twisted in much the same way it had when she'd been talking to the boy before. We all exchanged looks, confused. But before any of us could find a way of gently probing her, she spoke up.

"He killed him. Akagi…mistletoe… doesn't deserve to be called my son."

"He killed him." Takaaki repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I'm assuming not intentionally, or he wouldn't have been standing there."

"Well…" Friede fidgeted. "Does it matter? The end result is the same. We all know it."

"But…he's still your child." Mai said, uncertainly. "No matter what happened, he's still…"

At the same time, Eizo spoke up:

"That means the kiddo's lost a brother, and he's feeling guilty about it too-"

Friede cut both of them off with a shake of her head.

"He shouldn't have been born. I should have had Lucius, and only him. Then, none of this would have ever happened. If he hadn't been a sibling, then he wouldn't have lost anything. So."

"That's…" Eizo opened his mouth, and then closed it again, looking troubled.

I wanted so badly to move over to him, to say something comforting and kind, but not only did I not know how, all I could do was stare, at the pair of them. Friede, and Mai. There was no way of really knowing, but somehow, it felt like, if I was ever to become a mother, then I'd end up more like Friede. I'd be more like her, unable to even emphasise with her own child's loss despite having experienced loss herself, possibly even because of it. How would I, as someone who had actually lost a sibling, manage to look after a child if they lost their own sibling? There was a little part of me who would have hoped to be like Mai, trying her hardest to protect. But it wouldn't work, would it? Just look at her now. Love alone hadn't been enough to stop the past from coming in at full force.

There was no way that I could have ever become a mother, and no way I could become one now. Not with a legacy like this one. The proof was right in front of me.

"In any case, I'm not surprised he's got himself in with a journalist. Chance to share his sob story, I suppose." Friede shrugged.

"Fre-" Mai cut herself off, shook her head. "_Friede-chan_."

Friede seemed impervious to the sad look around Mai's eyes, let alone our shock, and the slight baffled disgust I could detect in Ayuna. For a moment, we all just stared at each other, something it felt like we'd been doing a lot. Eventually, I couldn't bear it, and I gathered up the courage to finally go over to Eizo. He looked over and smiled.

"Hey." he squeezed my arm, briefly and comfortingly.

"Hey back at ya." I said, the shape of the words feeling familiar in my mouth.

A routine, maybe, back in those bright, blurry days? Most probably. _If I concentrated, really concentrated, perhaps a little more could come back to me…_

"That brings up a point. " Eikichi said, startling me.

_But maybe not now…._

"A point?" I asked, quizzically.

"It's bad enough we'll have to deal with journalists in general, but one who is a soon-to-be-SHSL? And one who has managed to become friends with two children of survivors?"

"That's not their fault though." Eizo pointed out. "We promised to not talk to each other, not completely hold off on having lives. "

"That," Takaaki suddenly spoke up, making me(and some of the others) jump. "is at least 50% debatable."

"Which part?" Eizo asked, non-plussed.

"Fault."

"And what maths, exactly, are you trying to apply to this?" Ayuna asked.

At some point, she'd gone to lean against the banister of Mai's staircase. She smiled for a moment, only the ghost of a smile, and it disappeared, just as quickly.

Takaaki simply looked over meaningfully to Friede, who stared blankly back. Whatever she thought of Takaaki's look, she wasn't going to reveal it. Ayuna gawped at the two of them and then shook her head.

"Right, anyway," she nodded. "We can always bring it up to the police."

"_What_?"

"They _are_ trying to help us."

"That's a good point!" Eizo said quickly before it could turn into a spat.

"Akio is a good boy," Mai said. "He wouldn't do anything…but I'll ask Juro, to talk to him."

Eikichi simply sighed, and ran his hands through his hair. He shook his head in annoyance, then looked at all of us.

"I think I'm going to go back to the hotel now." He said, crisply. "Shion will be wondering where I am."

"Oh, but you haven't finished lunch!" Mai exclaimed.

Eikichi huffed at this. Mai faltered, then plastered on a smile.

"Could you wait for me to box some of it up, for you and for her? Does your hotel room have a microwave?"

"It does." Eikichi nodded stiffly. "And yes, that's fine. Very…very kind of you."

"Actually…" I looked hesitantly over at Eizo. "Is it possible if we…"

"Do you want to go as well, Azami?"

Of course, Eizo was quick to pick up on what I wanted to ask. I was glad that I didn't have to say the words. Because for all I felt like I was inching towards a point where I could not comfortably stay here, looking at Mai and Friede on opposite ends of the same scale and wondering where I would lie on it, I didn't want to hurt them, either. Before the kids had startled us all, all of this had been approaching something like _nice_.

"Sorry." I apologised.

"Oh, no, no, that's fine!" Mai smiled. "It's alright! Shall I do everyone else's as well?"

"I mean…" Ayuna let out a breath. "Sure. I mean, we'll definitely be seeing each other a lot more over the course of this investigation, won't we?"

Mai smiled once more at all of us, and turned to head back into the kitchen, when all of a sudden, the landline rang.

_BRRRINGGGG._

Mai spun around on her heel, a sudden yet elegant movement, and quickly walked past us to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Um…should we all still be standing around?" Eizo asked. "Maybe we should go back in…"

He gestured to the dining room/kitchen area. Takaaki simply shrugged.

"Whatever, don't mind really."

"Sure, I suppose." Ayuna agreed.

"Yes, they're here."

These words halted any moves we were going to make. Instead, all of us looked straight at Mai, who was looking at us with wide eyes, gripping the phone tightly.

"They're all here, they were just about to leave, we had lunch…"

"_What's happening?"_ Ayuna mouthed.

"_Juro." _Mai mouthed back, before returning to listen to what Juro had to say.

After a moment though, her forehead furrowed, and then she looked back up at us, worried and still confused. Or rather, she looked at us in that way, but not at _all_ of us.

Just me and Eizo.


	23. Could It Be?

**Thank goodness for having writing during these difficult times. Doesn't mean that I'll always have speedy/regular updates. But all the same, I have my writing. As much as I can, I will be sticking with it and seeing it through to the end, no matter how long it takes. **

* * *

_Juro_

When Mai opened the door and peered around it, her eyes were wide and anxious, and she looked like she had been crying. I did a double-take, as she'd sounded alright on the phone. Concerned a little, perhaps, but not _upset_. I'd have to address this later, though.

"Can we come in?" I asked, gesturing to myself and Evalynn. "We won't be staying, of course."

"O-oh! Of course. Hi there, Evalynn-san."

"Yo." Evalynn flashed a brief smile.

Inside, we were met with another surprise, namely all the survivors clustered in the hallway, Eizo and Azami at the front, shoes already on.

"Ah," Evalynn didn't miss a beat. "Presumably you already know that it's you that we've come to collect."

"Yes." Azami nodded uncertainly. "Did something happen….have you found something out about A-Akari?"

She swallowed, hard, but was clearly trying hard to stand tall and straight. Eizo seemed to understand this too, instinctively looking over to her protectively. The other survivors didn't move forward for a moment, but then Ayuna spoke up.

"if you've found something out, we have a right to know, too."

"At the moment," I said cautiously. "I don't know what we know, precisely. But it relates to Amai-san and Kishinami-san, so that's why we are bringing them in."

"Why at the station though?" Ayuna demanded, undeterred. "Why not right here?"

"Are they in trouble for something?" Friede asked.

The question was unexpectedly young-sounding, and the looks the rest gave us-varying between beseechment, surprise, worry and suspicion-only served to further that impression. _But is that any surprise, really? They were young when all of this occurred. _I glanced to Mai, wringing her hands, having slipped back to join the others. It was strange, seeing her with these other people who had been her friends and yet were perfect strangers to me, apart from the case. Really strange.

"It's on our superintendent's say-so." Evalynn said simply. "So, can we get this moving? This is quite urgent."

"Wait!" Eizo blurted out suddenly. "Does it have to be both of us?"

"Eizo?" Azami blinked in confusion.

"What are you playing at, Amai?" Eikichi muttered, though he was studying the scene closely.

Eizo laughed awkwardly, rubbed the back of his head and gave us a winningly appealing smile.

"Ah, but does Azami need to come too? I mean…whatever it is you need to ask, surely one of us can step in."

"It's the two of you that we need." Evalynn answered.

"Yes, but you know what it did to her, right? How much worse it hurt her? It's hardly fair then for you to come in and insist on pressurising her like this. Please, can't you just rely on me-"

"It's okay, Eizo." Azami interrupted.

Eizo glanced over at her, eyes wide and mouth parted in surprise. Azami, for her part, was clearly putting in the effort to stand straight, to remain calm. But, she was doing it.

"I don't mind, going to answer their questions. It'll…it'll help, right?"

"Yes." I said. "It'll help."

"But-"

Now Eizo looked concerned. No, more than that, utterly anguished. He looked like he couldn't bear the possibility of this even slightly distressing Azami. But yet, she wasn't worried, or if she was, she was doing a better job of hiding it than Eizo was giving her credit for. However, to his credit, he nodded, absorbing this.

"Alright then," he said. "But if you can't, then you don't need to. Okay?"

Evalynn gave me a look, and I just nodded.

"Alright then," she said briskly. "Let's get you down to the station."

"When are we going to find out what is happening, though?" Ayuna demanded.

"When we are good and ready to." Evalynn responded, just as forcefully. "I take it that we'll be able to find you at the addresses you've all given?"

"U-um, yeah?" Ayuna shrugged. "We were just getting ready to leave anyway."

"In that case, as I said, when we are ready. Coming, Detective Arisato?"

"Ah, um, yeah."

"Wait, Juro!" Mai called out.

I turned to look at her.

"W-when will you be home?"

"Not until dinner, most probably?" I said, shrugging. "I'll try and call you later, though. Did you manage to tell Akio to stay at a friend's?"

"Yes, but that was one of the things-"

All too aware that I needed to get going, I shook my head at Mai, but softened the interruption with a gentle smile. _This is hard. So hard. _

"I'll try and call you later, okay?"

Mai closed her mouth, pursing her lips. She gazed at me for a moment, and then nodded slowly.

"Alright."

**…**

At the station, we led Eizo and Azami into separate interrogation rooms, and told them that someone would be with them shortly, once again trying to reassure Eizo that Azami would be fine. This was of course going to be true-at this point there was nothing to be gained in making them wait too long. They weren't suspects that we were trying to rattle. At least, that was what I believed, truly and deeply, and at the moment it did seem like everyone else was thinking like that, too. I wasn't sure what I'd do if that changed, especially where Mai was concerned.

"Alright," Evalynn said as we started down the corridor. "How'd you want to do this? Do you want us to pair off with one of them, then get Nobu and Takamoto on the other? Or did you want us to separate, so that you go with, say, Takamoto?"

"It depends? How hard-line are we going on Eizo Amai?" I asked. "I know the plan with Azami Kishinami at the moment is to go far more gently, accounting for the memory block. But it's not clear what we should do with Eizo?"

"He's playing the role of protector." Evalynn said. "Kinda like you do with Mai. It's something we can use-not as a threat, not at the moment. But as an incentive, perhaps."

_Kind of like I do with Mai? _I gawped at Evalynn, who simply smirked at me before going on.

"So I guess we need a balance of soft and spiky, going into his interview. And we're pretty good at that, aren't we?"

"That we most certainly are."

_Soft. _It was accurate, as a descriptor of me. But like Gabe, for the most part I was able to use it to my advantage, putting victims, witnesses and suspects alike at ease in order to get what was needed to solve a case. But this case…was that softness going to end up hurting me?

"Okay, so we'll do Amai-san, and then the others can take Kishinami?"

"Perfect."

We headed down to the incident room, talking possible interview strategies as we went along, and on the way we passed Kenichi.

"Ah, has anyone updated you about what happened?" I asked him as he walked past.

Kenichi stopped and stared at us, raising a brow.

"Updated?" he asked, slowly. "Regarding Kimiko and the trackers?"

"Yes, that's right?"

"Detective Matsu just sent me an email." He said, slowly. "Said there would have been nothing to worry about in the present-she wouldn't have been stalked or anything if she had been lucky to survive."

"That's about the large and small of it, yes." I said.

"Right. Well. I'd like to rebury her now."

There was no emotion in this, he just looked _tired_. So, so tired. Such a contrast to how Tetsuji was dealing with this.

"I'm sure the superintendent will let you know when that'll be." I said. "Anyway, we'd best be off."

"See you later, Tsukuda." Evalynn added as we continued on.

I turned back briefly, and saw Kenichi had paused, leaning against the wall, looking at his phone. I imagined photographs of his daughter on the screen, and felt a pang before I turned and kept going.

When we got to the incident room, Takamoto was on the phone and Nobuyuki was discussing something with Hirawa. Evalynn bounded ahead.

"Yo, where's Gabe?" she asked.

"There's a big case that's just cracked with Juvenile Crimes, crossover with Sex Crimes. Chief's ordered him to divide his time between that and here. So he's there at the moment."

Both Evalynn and I winced for a moment. Cases with children involved were hard enough, but those where Sex Crimes had to step in? Those were worse. Gabe would no doubt be having a hard time, too. _Then again, nobody is having it easy with this, are they? _

"Also," Nobuyuki added. "He's on the phone with Miyumi Sonoda's sister."

Miyumi Sonoda. The elusive homeroom teacher. I'd not sat in on any of the interviews with her, but I recalled she had been young back then-a similar age to myself and Gabe and Evalynn. She'd been a newbie in her profession, too. I remembered a skittish woman, though it was hard to be sure if it was the situation, or something more sinister. The fact that she'd been proving hard to get ahold of only served to make things more complicated.

"Well, what're we doing about interviews, then?" Evalynn asked. "Is anyone else free?"

Nobuyuki frowned and considered this.

"You know what?" he said eventually. "For now, the two of you go in with Amai-kun, like planned, and I'll take Kishinami-chan."

"By yourself?"

"Yeah, sure." Nobuyuki shrugged. "It's going to be a slower-going interview, after all. When someone else is free, they can join me. Or perhaps the superintendent will join, because I know she's going to come and observe."

Evalynn and I exchanged a look, and then I nodded.

"Sure," I said. "That sounds good to me."

"Alright then," Nobuyuki said. "Let's get to the bottom of this!"

**…**

_Kenichi_

I hadn't meant to eavesdrop, as such. I'd just been going to give information to detectives on another case when I'd overheard Juro and Evalynn, and Juro had stopped to talk to me before they'd continued on their way. But I'd been curious, hearing the names of Kimiko's friends, Moeka in particular. So I'd stopped in the corridor, bought up photographs of her, and listened until their words faded.

…_protective of her…_

…_it was Eizo Amai who apparently made the claim, not her, so we need to…_

…'_It was Moeka who killed Akari', those were the exact words….._

…_what evidence was there from the first time that could match that?..._

…_we have to allow for the possibility he misinterpreted, but Kamiya-san wouldn't have lied about something like that-_

Even as I finally pocketed my phone and headed back down to Forensics, the words buzzed through my brain. It was only bits and pieces, sure, but it didn't seem to make very much sense to me. There were little details that seemed to suggest a connection-splinters from a cricket bat appearing both in Kiran Nanakai's head wound and under what was left of Katsuya Komiya's fingernails. Things like that. Not enough to suggest anything stronger though. But yet…

"_What can you tell me about Kimiko's death?" I asked. "Did she suffer? I heard some of the others were tortured beyond recognition."_

_I had been trying to convince myself that I was prepared for this. That as an investigator, I was strong enough to hear this, even if it was about my daughter. But of course I wasn't. Still, I took a deep breath, because I had to at least try, didn't I?_

"_Yes, that's right." Matsuo nodded. "It's quite a terrible business. Inexplicable, too. But no, your child wasn't one of them. "_

"_Then?" I asked. _

"_It appears her assailant first attempted to stab her in the back, and then strangled her with a rope, also from behind. It's not too clear why, since the stab wound was enough to kill her."_

"_Did she suffer?"_

_Matsuo pursed his lips as he looked at me. I stared back at him. _Don't lie to me, _I conveyed, silently. I know what I want to believe, more than anything, but I needed the truth. Kimiko would want me to know the truth. _

"_She would have been aware of what was happening, yes." Matsuo nodded. "Evidence suggests she did try to fight back."_

"_When can I see her?" I asked. "To make the formal identifications? To arrange the funeral, as well-"_

"_Don't worry, Tsukuda-san, that will all be arranged soon."_

Getting back to the office, I sat down heavily in a chair. There had been a pattern, I remembered. An 'ordinary' murder, then a torture, then another 'ordinary', and so on until they had reached the stuffed toy filled with pulverised remains that had had to be tested in order to confirm their identity. The only thing had been that Kimiko and Sen'ya Ochiai had somewhat broken that pattern, both of them 'ordinary' deaths before Lilian. Not that had been a comfort for Sen'ya's poor mother. I had never been as hopelessly optimistic as she had been about getting them back, but the blow when all our hopes had been proved wrong had been just as hard. Perhaps I could have been kinder. I hadn't been _un_kind, I was sure I hadn't. But I'd had to try and do right by Kimiko in her death, to make up for failing in protecting her, and there'd been Tetsuji to worry about to. I hadn't the energy left over for kinship with anyone else. That was the way it was with murders. Hurting so much more than the victim themselves.

_But…anyway….._

Moeka had been one of those poor, unlucky ones. And what had apparently been said….._Moeka was the one who killed Akari. _She wasn't mine, but it was with the instincts of a father that I wanted to dismiss this. Yet….the meaning of the order hadn't been discerned. Plenty of theories had been looked at, but none ever settled upon, and one of those had been that the deaths were paired. An ordinary, then a torture as one, then the next ordinary and torture as another, and so on. Kiran Nanakai and Katsuya Komiya, Rin Hatakawayama and Fumiaki Amai. _And then Akari Kishinami and Moeka Kamiya. _

"Could that be what it meant?" I wondered aloud. "Could it really be?"

_But then that'd mean…oh, fuck. _I leaned back, rubbing my eyes. It surely explained a lot, it tied up all those little disparate bits of evidence together, it gave meaning to the death order and the wide variations in causes of deaths. It looked as if there were multiple killers, because technically there were. It sounded ridiculous, but it couldn't be ruled out.

But I had to admit, I really wanted to rule it out.

I bit my lip, thinking for a moment. I pulled my phone out again, returning to photographs of Kimiko. This phone was not the same one I'd had back then-that would have been quite the miracle, a phone lasting that long when it'd already been old back then. But I'd made sure to transfer all the photographs I had, all the posed photos from special occasions and silly selfies with friends that'd been sent to me. And all the much older photographs, of her as a little girl, a toddler, a baby. Just her and me, against the world it had felt sometimes. And now it was just me, but having the pictures with me wherever I went was something, at least. I flicked through them, a backwards progression right to the beginning. I'd spent so long wondering what I could have done differently to have protected Kimiko from all this. Yet, I knew I wouldn't have been able to change a thing about Kimiko's life even if I had been given such an impossible opportunity. Kimiko had been who she had been. I loved her too much to be able to sacrifice that.

_Focus. There'll be plenty of time for maudlin thoughts. Otherwise known as, any other moment of the day. _With effort, I stopped at a photograph of Kimiko taking unsteady first steps and exited the gallery app, instead finding Tetsuji's number and calling it, the phone on loudspeaker so that I didn't need to hold it to my ear.

It rang and rang, and eventually kicked into voicemail. With a frustrated sigh, I hung up, then gripped the phone before making a decision. Getting up, I left the department, poking my head around the doors of the various labs and rooms to let my colleagues know that I'd be out for a little bit, but not too long. It wasn't as if I was doing anything wrong anyway-I still technically had not taken a lunch break, so even though I wasn't inclined towards them anyway I was more than entitled to do so now.

I tried Tetsuji's mobile once more as I strode to the place he was renting, but I got the same result. I supposed this was for the better. Asking a former colleague if there was the slightest possibility their daughter had died a murderer wasn't really a conversation for the phone. Too many ways for that to go wrong. Besides, seeing Tetsuji face to face, would be the best way of discerning if there'd been a possibility of misinterpretation on his end, or a clumsy wording on the part of Eizo's. Fully grown adult he may have been now, but how any of us could look at those fully grown adult faces and not still see a trace of the kids they'd been, I had no idea. No idea at all.

I stood outside the apartment, and unlike the last time I'd been here, I pressed the doorbell for the apartment he was in. A beat, and then another, but when all I got was radio silence, I tried again. Another moment, and then another ring. But once again, nothing.

_Okay, and why do I have a bad feeling about this? _Suspecting I'd get much the same result for a third time, I nonetheless attempted to call him. But just as I predicted, it went straight to voicemail once again. Rather than hang up though, I decided to say something.

"Listen," I said. "I think they've made some sort of breakthrough, and I heard you might have had something to do with that. Let's talk about it-I think I have a possible explanation for it. Possibly."

This wasn't exactly a lie. My mind was whirring and churning, trying to make sense of it. I had been hoping for this conversation to help align some of that though. I sighed, then continued.

"I hope you aren't doing anything stupid. You'd better not be, alright?"

I didn't bother with niceties, I just hung straight up, and then, after one last look up at the apartment, I walked back to work.

**…**

Later in the day, finding myself in front of the computer sending emails with various evidence reports and summaries to different investigations and departments, I found myself opening up a new email, and addressing it to Shizuka. Then, I paused, and thought.

Ordinary, torture, ordinary, torture. Kiran Nanakai and Katsuya Komiya, Rin Hatakawayama and Fumiaki Amai, Akari Kishinami and Moeka Kamiya, Sayuri Fujimoto and Seiko Yamamoto. Then Kimiko, with either Sen'ya Ochiai or Lilian Lao. Or, was it Kimiko and Sen'ya with Lilian? If the claim that Moeka had killed Akari was true, and thus it followed that Katsuya had killed Kiran and so on, who was to say that one person couldn't have been responsible for two deaths? But then, if that was the case, that only explained half the deaths. What about Moeka? What about Lilian? Why had they died? And in such a different way, too?

_Hold on. Torture. Torture is used as punishment….could this be….? _It was barebones at best, they killed, so they got killed in punishment. A twisted version of the death penalty. There were a whole bunch of pieces missing for this to make sense-who was punishing them? Why? Why would this class, who had been so close knit, suddenly turn on each other like this? Still, there was a sense to it, and it was an explanation. At the very least, even if this was eliminated, they'd still be somewhere. I had to suggest it, at the very least.

So, with a deep breath, I began to type.


	24. Extracts 4

_Extract from phone interview conducted with Ikuko Tanabe, 17__th__ July 2039, 13:50_

**In Attendance: Detective Seiji Takamoto**

I.T: You have a lot of nerve, the lot of you, trying to hound my sister again.

S.T.: We're not trying to hound her, Tanabe-san. We are simply trying to track her down for the reopened investigation.

I.T.: _(snorts)_ and for whose benefit is that, exactly? Certainly not for Miyumi's, not after how you and that goddamn school treated her.

S.T.: Yes, well, I understand that she did leave Hope's Peak after 78-B were fo-

I.T.: Not just leave Hope's Peak, she left teaching altogether! It was her dream career, did you know that? No, of course you didn't.

S.T.: And we would be interested in knowing what precisely happened with your sister.

I.T.: Hah, yeah, no. Not going to happen. I encouraged her to fully cooperate with you even though that school threatened her, because she loved those kids and it wasn't about her or us or our shitty experiences. But what did you do? You threw that back in her face. I regret ever saying anything.

S.T.: Listen, I was not on the original case, I am not fully aware of the situation, but if you could just-

I.T.: Excuses, excuses as always.

S.T.: Ma'am, please…

**…**

_Extract from a post put up on Hope's Peak's official website, 1__st__ April 2019_

**Posted by: SchoolAdmin**

…Like the rest of the country, we were thrilled to see the new name of the era revealed. The Reiwa Era will surely be a peaceful, prosperous one and Hope's Peak are honoured to be a part of the beginning of this new age. Our many students, from all walks of life, continue to represent the best of the country's youth and will surely be an example to us all throughout Reiwa.

We were lucky enough to be able to witness the ushering of the Heisei area, which we celebrated appropriately with a huge party that opened the grounds to the public, with special invites for disadvantaged schoolchildren. Therefore, we plan on doing the same this time around, but bigger and better, with our students at the forefront of it all. If you are a particular fan of one of our students, then this may just end up being the party of a lifetime for you, but even if not we do hope you will come and join us on this momentous occasion …

…The party will be taking place over the entirety of the weekend beginning the 3rd of May, and more details are to follow…

**…**

_Interview with Kazuo Tengan conducted at Hope's Peak Academy, 29__th__ April 2019, 11:45_

**In attendance: Detective Shizuka Onoe, Detective Matsuo Amasaki, Kazukiyo** **Oomori (lawyer)**

M.A.: I understand, Tengan-san, that despite the fact that you retired over twenty years ago, you are still heavily involved in the running of Hope's Peak.

K.T.: Oh, purely as an advisor of sorts. Being able to guide and nurture the young generation has always been a passion of mine-it is why I have been here for so long, after all. I will admit to a little bit of narcissism too-the glory of these young people does reflect well on us as staff.

K.O.: Yes, Tengan-san has been a valued member of both this school and my family's life for a very long time. Just as he coached me to make the right choices in life as a young man, he is now doing the same with my eldest son, and with his children too-though they are still little more than babies, those three.

S.O.: That eldest son is Kazutaka Oomori, correct? He has had a lot of interaction with Class 78-B?

K.O.: _(slightly raised voice)_ I do not like what you are implying.

S.O.: I am implying nothing, Oomori-san, I am simply asking a question in response to the information you offered me.

M.A.: Nonetheless, as Kazutaka Oomori-san isn't currently present, let's get back to you, Tengan-san? How involved are you with the day to day life of the students currently?

K.T.: Well now, of course, I am retired as you so rightly mentioned before, I do not spend all my waking hours here _(chuckles). _Most of the time I am here, I am sequestered right in these offices, advising Kirigiri-kun on various matters in relation to running the school. Indeed, I am supporting him through this terrible time and am hoping that it will soon be resolved so we can go back to the important things.

S.O.: And what important things might this be?

K.T.: Why, the Reiwa Era celebrations of course.

S.O.: More important than bringing back twenty young people back safely?

K.T.: Well, young lady, you couldn't possibly know this, but Hope's Peak Academy has been around since the middle of the Showa Era, and during my time as Principal we welcomed in the Heisei era with much joy and celebration, it is only natural that this new is treated just as momentously.

K.T.: _(coughs delicately)_ But of course, you are right, we do need to get the young people back, especially as they had such a big role in the organisation of the celebrations. Yes, we do have the two other classes, but it'll be such a shame if we had to cancel because we didn't have all the help needed.

K.O. _(delicately clears throat)_

K.T.: _(chuckles)_ Oh yes, excuse me. I do tend to …ramble somewhat in my old age. Ah, if you could remind me what it was we were originally talking about.

S.O.: Your relationship with the missing students, if any. How well you knew them and so on.

K.T.: Ah, yes, of course. Well, I cannot say I particularly talked to any of them more than the other. Perhaps the Kamiya girl and the Komiya boy, as they were the class representatives. I did see them a few times in the offices for Council related matters. And of course, Lao-san and Hashiri-san, I did talk to them at the beginning of the year, what with them coming from abroad and all. Hashiri-san was a lovely young lady, well bought up by the older generation. And her grandmother Sachiko Hashiri is quite an upstanding woman herself-I knew her for a while, in my glorious youth. The rest I've seen from time to time, mostly while I'm with Kirigiri-kun, and at graduation ceremonies and the like. And that more or less characterises my interactions with most of the students in the school.

M.A.: So you wouldn't consider yourself close to particular students? You've never given them any specialist advice or anything like that.

K.T.: Well now, if a student was to approach me, I'd hardly reject them. But mentorship at large isn't part of my role here.

S.O.: Then how do you explain reports from some of the other students that several of the students of 78-B, mainly the girls, attempted to make complaints that they were being stalked?

K.T.: I have _(clears throat)_ no idea what you are talking about. Who has been saying such things?

M.A.: We are not at liberty to reveal that to you.

K.O.: This is a serious allegation, we would like to know the name of the young person so that we can appropriately clarify this matter.

M.A.: You say that, and yet, according to the students in question, the response to these complaints was to brush them off and discourage them from making further complaints.

S.O.: You, specifically. Speaking on behalf of Principal Kirigiri.

K.T.: I do sometimes speak for Kirigiri-kun yes, because though he is bright and ambitious he is…young, and inexperienced in life much as most young people are in new situations. Much like yourselves, actually.

S.O.: _(pause)_What do you mean by that?

K.T.: _(throaty chuckle, then a pause)_

S.O.: Tengan-san.

K.T.: I am sure the two of you are fine detectives. Indeed, I have read up on past cases you have managed to solve and know that you are. However, that does not mean you understand how a school like this works. And unfortunately, I do not think you can. The rules of ordinary society do not fully apply to such brilliant beings as these teenagers, never mind the institution that houses them.

S.O.: I assure you that if anyone in this school is found to be involved in the disappearances of the students, especially if they have come to harm, then the fact this school has a prestigious history will not protect them from the law.

K.O.: Tengan-san, you don't need to say anything more. You don't need to stand for this slander.

M.A.: What about what we have said could be constituted as slander, Oomori-san? We are simply trying to follow up on any leads we have in order to bring home a group of teenagers whom your client has some duty of care towards.

K.O: Tengan-san, don't say anything.

K.T.: It is alright, I have nothing to say at this point. Please see these detectives out and wish them well in their investigative efforts.

**…**

_Extract from an email sent from Forensics to the detectives investigating the class 78-B case, June 3__rd__ 2019, 14:30_

**RE: DNA Identification**

…Fumiaki Amai's remains were identified as being in one of the two bags of what can only be described, somewhat inelegantly, as paste. This was done by matching his DNA with the sample provided from his surviving brother. Additionally, the remains proved a match for some of the skin fragments found snagged on Rin Hatakawayama's fingernails.

Though it took some doing, Takayuki's Fujimoto's DNA was extracted from the little toys found at the crime scene that had been confirmed to be touched/handled by him, as well as from bedding and clothing found in the room that we have been informed he was sleeping in. Using this, we were able to find a positive match between the samples from these sources, and the remains that were found stuffed into the toy. Similar sources corresponding to Katsuya Komiya were used to identify his remains as being in the second bag of 'paste'….

**…**

_Extract from the autopsy report of Seiko Yamamoto_

…many of the wounds caused by the shrapnel had bled for an extensive amount of time before she died. A number also had gravel embedded in them…

…the burns across her arms and hands were third-degree for the most part, with some reaching the extent of fourth-degree particularly across her forearms which both suffered fractures….

…The remaining burns across her torso and legs were second-degree..

…after seeking a second opinion, the conclusion is that Seiko Yamamoto died as a combined result of bleeding out from where she was hit with shrapnel, and shock from the multiple injuries that she received. The death would have been a slow one…


	25. Things (un)known

_Evalynn_

"So," I asked Eizo once we were sitting there all settled, recording on and formalities completed. "Do you know why you're both here?"

"I'm guessing it's got something to do with Moeka's dad?" Eizo asked.

"Why do you think that?"

"Well…" Eizo blinked, more than a little puzzled by my question. "You were there, Detective Dupont, and you took him away. What happened? Was he okay?"

"That's very good of you," now it was Juro's turn to jump in, and he did so well. "To worry about him even though from all accounts it seems as if it was Kamiya-san harassing the two of you."

Eizo laughed hesitantly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yes, well. He is Moeka's dad, right? That counts for something. Besides, even before we recognised him, Azami thought he looked lost or something, like perhaps he had memory issues or something. That's why we went to talk to him in the first place."

_Oh come on, he's not that old. Well, not old, old anyway. _I just nodded, to indicate to him that I was giving him my attention.

""That's fair enough, but all the same, it's very good of you." Juro said.

"Well thanks, I guess?"

"So, we've had Kamiya tell us his side of what happened. Do you think you could tell us what your side is?"

"I mean, sure, but…." Eizo frowned now, just slightly. "Why? We're alright, and I don't want to make a complaint against him or anything. "

"We just want to get things clear, that's all." I assured him.

Eizo nodded slowly, not instantly answering. He studied us carefully, his eyes worried. But underneath that worry, there was some degree of calculation. Trying to work out our precise motives, what we knew. Or, to be exact, what it was Tetsuji had told us. After a moment though, he leaned forward slightly, folding his arms and leaning them against the table, relaxed and confining.

"So, we were getting burgers and things, for takeaway, something to eat after the long day yesterday…"

"The place that was across the road from you when I came, yes?"

"Yes, that's right."

The wariness was back, just for a moment. I smiled at him warmly, reassuring, _nothing wrong here_. The goal was just to up the stakes a bit, not completely rattle him, after all.

"Alright, just checking."

"Alright, and then we were talking a bit, we ordered, and then as we were going to leave anyway, Azami spotted Moeka's dad. I mean, she didn't recognise him and I didn't at the time, either. But he was kind of pacing, looking a little confused, so like I said, I guess we both thought there was like, dementia or something going on, so we decided to go out and see what was going on."

"So what did you say to him specifically, when you went to approach him?" I asked. "Did you introduce yourself?"

"No…I just asked if he was alright."

Again, that look, asking: what are you getting at? _Oh, we'll get there soon enough_, I thought.

"What did he say to you then?"

"Well, at first he didn't say anything to us as such, he said something about how he was sure had seen someone, but that maybe he hadn't. It was sort of in half sentences, like he was thinking aloud more than anything, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Juro said. "I do the same sometimes, myself."

"Cool, yeah. Then I asked him if he'd lost someone, and then I must have put my hand on his shoulder or something, you know, reassuring-like because I thought he was disoriented, but then he directly told me to let go, and when we looked at each other…it took a moment, but then I recognised who he was."

"Did you make it clear to him that you did?"

"Yeah, I asked 'Moeka's Dad?', specifically."

"What happened once you recognised him?"

Eizo bit his lip, then rubbed his forehead slightly. But he didn't speak.

"Amai-kun?" Juro asked.

Still, no answer. I sighed, and decided to just push on in general rather than push on this. There'd be plenty of time to circle back, I was sure.

"How did he react to recognising the two of you?"

"He started harassing Azami."

This was said instantly, straightforwardly, looking straight at us.

"How do you mean, harassing?"

"He just kept asking her and asking her for 'answers'."

"Answers about what? His daughter."

"Yeah," Eizo gave a one-sided shrug. "Pretty much. Oh, and where we'd come from. I think he knew that though."

At this, Juro and I exchanged glances. When Shizuka had given us the directive to get Eizo and Azami in, that hadn't been clear, whether he knew about the hospital or not. It seemed like he did-but how?

"So what did you say?" I asked. "What did she say?"

"I mean, I told him that he should ask the police, and then we tried to get into the car, but he blocked our way, still demanding answers. He wouldn't believe her when she tried to tell him that she doesn't remember anything…and she doesn't, not really. She doesn't."

"It's alright, we know."

"Detective Kurosawa, he remembers that, right? She doesn't remember anything, and Moeka's dad he…he tried to grab her. To try and get her to give him answers.""

"Don't worry, Detective Kurosawa has experience with witnesses and victims who need extra care." I reassured. "He's usually the one we go to for advice with that when we need it, in fact. "

"R-right."

"So, how did the two of you respond? Did you say anything particular to him about his daughter?"

Eizo's eyes flared at this, and he stiffened. For a long moment he looked like a deer in the headlights, before he took a deep breath and shrugged.

"I don't….I don't know, really. Just apologising, that we didn't know anything, that Azami didn't remember…asking him to leave us alone."

"He didn't believe it though, that you didn't know anything."

"No….no, I guess not." Eizo pulled a face. "I guess you heard, huh, Detective Dupont? That he was calling us liars and all that."

"Partially, but that's neither here nor there."

"Do you think the same?" Eizo asked, with a small half-laugh.

"No, not like that," I said. "But it's clear you are holding something back about the conversation."

Eizo's smile faltered. He said nothing, just staring at us.

"No, I'm sure I told you everything. It was all a bit of a blur really, especially once he was just shouting. I was worried about Azami, I wanted us to get back so she could rest. It had been a hard day."

"It was hard for you, too, no?" Juro asked.

Eizo blushed slightly, and his smile strengthened just a little for a moment.

"Yeah."

"Don't you think it'll be easier, if you weren't holding things back?" I asked, keeping my tone conversational.

"I….." Eizo looked hesitant once again, and he bit his lip. "What did Moeka's dad say?"

"What do you think he might have said?"

Eizo's brow furrowed slightly, and he looked first at me, then at Juro, then back at me. The two of us waited patiently as his expression continued to falter further. He clasped his hands together, then unclasped them. Ran a hand through his hair. Then, he placed both his hands in his lap and took a deep breath.

"I….could we take a break?" he asked. "I'm sorry, I can't…."

For whatever reason, I hadn't expected that, so I just blinked at first. Then, I had a sideways glance at Juro, who nodded subtly.

"Alright then. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Ah, a soft drink, maybe?"

Eizo looked relieved, too relieved. I pretended I hadn't noticed, and smiled as I got up.

"Alright then. I think Detective Arisato needs to get a drink too, don't you?"

"I..oh, yeah."

"We'll be back in a bit. Interview paused at…." I checked the time. "15:02. Detectives Dupont and Arisato exiting."

Leaving the room once Juro'd paused the recording, we were surprised to see Nobuyuki at the door. Quickly closing the door, we all headed into the small observation space that connected our two interrogation rooms together. Before that though, I took advantage of a uniformed officer walking by with no apparent task to complete, snagging them and ordering them to get drinks.

"I was just coming to get you," Nobuyuki said. "She's having a break at a moment. It was rather slow going, and hard for her, but she was quite cooperative, all things considered."

"Did she admit to Eizo telling Kamiya-san that his daughter was the one to kill her sister?" Juro asked curiously.

"No, she didn't. She did mention that he's renting an apartment in the same place that the two of them are."

"Oh?"

Juro and I looked at each other, and Nobuyuki didn't miss it.

"I assume then you didn't know that?"

"Nope, no idea at all." I said. "How does she know this?"

"She recognised him from outside the apartment, before she knew his identity."

"That's a strange thing to hide, though." Juro pointed out.

"Perhaps it must have something to do with what he's trying to hide." I speculated.

"It's possible," Nobuyuki said. "But it could be something completely different. How many times have we had people trying to hide inconsequential things from us?"

"Well, it's not like they've never been _inconsequential_, as such." I pointed out. "Just details, really."

"True enough."

"So, what else did she say?"

From what Nobuyuki related, it sounded a lot like that by-and-large, Azami's account of events had matched Eizo's, though perhaps with more emotion. It sounded like she was holding onto a lot of guilt, feeling as if she was to blame for something.

"She implied that she thought it was her fault that her sister died, but she wasn't able to explain it further. She was starting to reach her limit when she let that slip." Nobuyuki explained.

"_Her_ fault?" I asked. "That doesn't fit at all!"

I glanced up at the time.

"Okay, looks like we'd better get back in there." I said decisively. "Let's crack this thing!"

**…**

_Eikichi_

Not having wanted to encounter the detectives and possibly be entangled in a conversation with them, I'd waited a few moments for them to have left enough distance between us and them. That, and Mai still had to box up the rest of the food-despite the need to get out, get away as quickly as possible, I couldn't persuade myself to abandon that.

"Fuck." Ayuna swore. "Just, fuck. What could that even be about?"

"The school, maybe?" Friede suggested.

"Yeah, but why then would they ask for Kishinami as well?" Takaaki pointed out.

"That's beyond me."

Friede shrugged insolently, looking almost sullen. I stared at her. The features were the same, just twenty years older. But with a look like that, she may as well have been a stranger. She caught me looking and stared evenly before adding.

"Whatever he says, the school can't be up to any good, don't you think?"

"You don't sound especially worried about it." Ayuna retorted. "Especially considering your son is to be a student there."

"Why should I be?" she asked. "Why should I waste any more heartache on him?"

"That's just-"

Ayuna's mouth twisted in disgust, and I couldn't blame her. I couldn't imagine treating any future children of my own-if Shion and I were to have any-like that at all. It was probably a moot point that I couldn't even imagine being in such a situation with my own children in the first place.

"_And who might you be?"_

_The blond girl smiled politely at me._

"_My name is Friede Benbow," she paused to gesture at Sadie, Teiichi and Kiran who'd already introduced themselves. "As you can probably figure from the name, I'm also half-Japanese. You can call me Heiwa, if you want."_

"_Is that a nickname?"_

"_It's my middle name, technically. But I've been using it as my Japanese name."_

"_Does 'Heiwa-san' work for you?"_

"_Of course."_

_There was a pause as we assessed each other, when suddenly Friede gasped and gave a little laugh. _

"_Oh, sorry, Talents! You'd think that I would remember to use that in any introductions in this school, but oh well," she gave another chuckle. "I'm the SHSL Interpreter. What are you?"_

"_It's understandable to forget, they're new titles to us all and it's only the first day of school," I said. "But in any case, my title is SHSL Fencer."_

"_Well then, Hanamura-san, I can officially say it's very nice to meet you!"_

Not getting any further response from either me or Ayuna, Friede laughed, but not the soft slightly embarrassed chuckle of the past, but a proper sneer, low and hateful.

"See?"

"In any case," I said slowly. "I don't think they're suspicious, but I doubt they've thought about the risks. Sure, Eizo's trying. But I don't think that's enough."

"What would you count as 'enough'?" Takaaki asked.

At that, I just glared.

"It's all going wrong, isn't it?" Friede murmured.

"Look, we don't know what the detectives want with the two of them, we won't know until either we hound them or until they come out-"Ayuna started.

"Is this what comes of us meeting again?" Friede asked. "Perhaps we should have stuck to the promise."

"Perhaps." I said. "Does that change anything, though?"

Friede shrugged, and I looked at her. I wonder if she remembered that she'd been the one who had triggered the promise in the first place, saying it'd be better if we never saw each other again after what happened. I supposed it didn't matter too much, though. Not when the end result was the same.

"But more to the point, we'll need to do something." Ayuna quickly said before either of us could say any more. "It's feasible that they will come to question us soon, if they've already singled out those two."

I stared tiredly. Ayuna looked at me, and instead of delivering a snappy retort or anything like that, she just nodded.

"But not now," she said. "Let's just go, leave Mai be. Let her talk to her husband about the kids. We can regroup tomorrow, maybe?"

"Ah, sorry for taking so long!" Mai exclaimed, coming back with boxes in little bags, which she handed out to each of us. "What was that about tomorrow?"

"Meeting up again. To talk about what we're going to do next."

Mai's mouth dropped open, and then she snapped it closed again, lips thinned in worry.

"What's wrong?" Friede asked, instantly softening.

"I've just got to make sure Akio won't come back, unexpectedly." Mai said. "I don't have to worry about Sachi for now, but Akio is a different story now, especially since he knows."

"Well, we don't need to come back here, right?"

Friede placed a protective hand on Mai's shoulder and looked over at us, daring us to disagree. Every inch the loyal friend. _I don't understand. I just don't understand. _

"It'll need to be somewhere private though." I pointed out.

"My hotel room." Ayuna said decisively. "But we'll figure out the details later though, alright? Let's just rest for now and wait for news from those two. Alright, Mai?"

Mai nodded slightly. And with that, finally, after a round of goodbyes, I could finally, finally leave.

**…**

"So, what happened?"

Sitting by the desk, I regarded Shion sitting cross-legged on the bed, and wondered where, specifically to begin.

"What was it like?" she asked. "I guess they're all pretty different what with it being twenty years and all, right?"

"Well, that's one way of putting it," I said. "I mean, two of them are parents now."

_Even if that seems to be in the coldest, most biological sense with one of them, _I thought with some disgust.

"Ooooh." Shion's eyes shone. "Have you met the kids?"

I thought of the seven teenagers, most of all Akio. There was the physical semblance to Mai, sure, with the brown curly hair and something about the face. But he had also seemed like a genuinely nice boy, considerate of his mother but also clearly wanting to understand. Bright, curious, eager to learn, just like my own students. I suppose, if we had met under less combative circumstances I would have sat him down and calmly but firmly told him that there were things better left unknown and forgotten no matter what. I would have told him to keep safe, and keep those new friends of his safe. Though maybe it was really Akagi I needed to tell that too, considering that at least Akio had someone to love him at home, someone to worry about him, out in the unknown. They were ordinary kids, just like my own students. They didn't deserve history to repeat. And perhaps it wasn't guaranteed to, but I couldn't share Eizo's faith that this was the case.

"No, but I saw pictures. " I managed, eventually, well aware that Shion was waiting for an answer and not wanting to explain.

"That's nice, but a shame that you didn't get to meet them? Little kids?"

"Teenagers, but Arisato has a little girl as well."

"Awww. So….what else did you get up to?"

"Nothing really. Just talking, eating." I shrugged. "I have the leftovers."

"Yeah, I noticed. Least we don't have to splash for room service tonight." Shion laughed.

"You _love_ room service." I responded. "We'll order dessert."

"Wait, really?" Shion grinned, almost childlike. _Children. Like them. Like us. "_For real!"

"Sure," I said. "I don't mind."

"But, anyway. Tell me more about them! I want to know!"

I had been smiling, but I felt the good mood drop away rapidly at the thought of Shion's dessert. Instead I thought of Takaaki, sitting on the floor, insisting that the ridiculous table fort was actually a social experiment. I thought of Eizo, determined that he'd be powerful enough to keep those kids safe. Those kids.

"_Hey, sensei!" Katsuya called out. "What do you think about the trip idea? Cool, right?"_

"_Ah, yes, yes, it does." She said. "You'll need to get it approved with the Principal first and I'll need to organise my schedule to join you."_

"_Oh, he already said it's fine!" Katsuya said cheerfully. "Him and Tengan-sensei too! And you don't need to come with us, he said!"_

"_What?" I said. "Teachers always come on school trips."_

"_Oh, don't be such a wet cloth, Ekichii." _

_I glared at the nickname, which wasn't even a nickname but a hideous name-mangling, but decided it wasn't worth the bother of arguing against. Before Katsuya could continue though, Moeka spoke up._

"_It's a bit unusual, but this is a proper road trip and besides, we can do it, right? We've got each other! We'll be alright."_

"_Yeah!" a few of the others chimed in. _

_I rolled my eyes, and exchanged a look with Sen'ya and Fumiaki, who seemed to agree somewhat at least. _

"_It won't be quite that easy," Fumiaki murmured. "We'll have our work cut out for sure."_

_Sonoda looked at all of us cautiously, her forehead puckered. _

"_Well, I'll need to double check just to be sure…"_

_This was immediately met with a bunch of protests, though all were cheerful. _Oh for god's sake, _I thought, _how crazy can you get? _Still, there was something funny about it. _

_And besides, the idea of being completely free on this trip did sound appealing. _

I sighed and rubbed my face.

"There's not that much to say, really," I said eventually. "I know a bit about the jobs they do and stuff like that. But really, we've just met again."

"So?" Shion tilted her head, lovely in her ignorance. "Doesn't that mean you should be scrambling to know more about each other?"

_Not after parting like we did. _

"It's a process."

Shion nodded at this, studying me closely. I squirmed, despite my best efforts and soon enough, she asked:

"Did something happen?"

"What do you mean?"

My shoulders stiffened, I kept my gaze firmly on her, tried to make sure my breathing remained even.

"I mean, you're taciturn, sure, but you're not even giving me _trivia_. The stupid sort of details that you know about all my friends."

_Right, because you have the experience of spending more than a month in captivity with them while watching them get picked off one by one, do you?_

"It's not the same, Shion." I said slowly. "It's not the same at all."

"Isn't it?"

"No, it really isn't."

"Okay, okay, I'll let it go for now," Shion's tone was exasperated, yet mildly indulgent. "But something did happen, didn't it? You're shutting me out."

"Look, just leave it, alright? _Leave _it."

Shion's mouth abruptly shut, instead trembling slightly as her eyes widened. Instantly, I found myself softening, but not gently. No, though it didn't make sense, this softness was spiky, making my chest clench. I didn't know how to do this.

Slowly, I took a deep breath in, determined at least, to hold myself back from actually saying something cruel instead of just using a cruel tone of voice. I didn't want to sink to the level of Friede, so easily able to throw venomous words at someone I was supposed to love. If anything, as ridiculous as it was to admit to myself as I realised it, I wanted to be more like Eizo, who was so able to determinedly shield and protect, who was so eager for connection.

"_Hey, Azami."_

_I glanced over as Eizo walked up to Azami, sitting by herself in a corner while Sadie was busy trying to calm Yuki down. His wails were filling the space, but even with Eizo raising his voice just to make himself heard over them, Azami didn't react. _

"_Hey, it's me. It's me, Azami. Eizo-chi." _

_When this didn't garner any more response, Eizo crouched down in front of her. From this angle, I couldn't see his face, but his shoulders sagged slightly. _

"_When will you come back, Azami?" he murmured, softly. _

_He reached out, and took one of her limp hands, clasping it between his two. Azami blinked slightly, and I held my breath for a moment. But nothing happened, and after a moment, Eizo shook his head and let go of Azami's hand, gently placing it by her side. Then, he went to sit next to her. _

"_There isn't much of a mystery, in this case," he said. "I suppose it'll make things easier, but maybe not. I mean, we all saw it, even you. But Yuki won't admit to it, and you…well, you don't know that you've seen it, do you? But it's alright. I'll sit with you a while, till Sadie comes back. Okay?"_

_He smiled widely, but it was just a fraction away from turning into a grimace. Then, he sighed, and leaned back against the wall. He started to talk, about whatever popped into his head from the sound of it, punctuated with jokes and laughter tinged with well-veiled hysteria. I shook my head at the sight, and walked away to continue the investigation. _

_They were still there when I walked past again, ages later. _

Something like that, I could never do. I had never had such idealism, even before we had been trapped, and I certainly had none now. And usually, I managed just fine, but now…

I knew that Shion was looking at me, watching me with concern written all over her face, the want and need to reach out and take it all away clear in her features, in the downturn of her lips and the shadows around her eyes. _I can't do this. _ I pushed my chair back and stood up.

"I'm going to take a walk."

"Eikichi-"

"Around the block, that's all. "

"Ei-"

"_It's all going wrong, isn't it?" Friede murmured. _

"_Look, we don't know what the detectives want with the two of them, we won't know until either we hound them or until they come out-" Ayuna started. _

"_Is this what comes of us meeting again?" Friede asked. "Perhaps we should have stuck to the promise."_

"_Perhaps." I said. "Does that change anything, though?"_

_Friede shrugged, and I looked at her. I wonder if she remembered that she'd been the one who had triggered the promise in the first place, saying it'd be better if we never saw each other again after what happened. I supposed it didn't matter too much, though. Not when the end result was the same. _

Still making a point of not looking at her, I swiped my phone off the table, then left the room before she could say any more.

Before_ I_ could say any more.

**…**

_Ayuna_

I dragged the suitcase out from underneath the bed, then placed it heavily on the bed. Sitting down next to it, for a long time I just stared at it. Then, slowly, I opened it and took out the sheaf of papers that were inside, and stared at the printed letters. Seiko's name, the simple title: Trapped.

"_So, you know that I was in the middle of writing a new project, right?"_

"_Y-yeah." I said, still confused. "Is that it?"_

_I nodded to the papers Seiko had, and her grip on them tightened even as she nodded back in response. _

"_I bought it along with me because I thought that on parts of the journey maybe I could go through, annotate it with changes I wanted to make and other things I need to edit or change before setting about directing it."_

"_Okay…and, it was amongst the luggage that turned up here?"_

"_Yes." _

_Seiko sighed, closed her eyes for a moment, took in a deep breath. _

"_That's the problem."_

"_Seiko, I don't understand."_

"_No, that's fair. I'm not making myself very clear. But…if you read a little bit of it yourself, I think you'll see. That might just be the easiest way of explaining it."_

"_Ooooookay."_

_Seiko handed me the papers, and I glanced down at the title page. _

"_Trapped?" I asked as I turned it and began to read. _

"_It's a working title."_

"_Ah."_

_A few moments of silence as I read. Then slowly, I looked up at Seiko, meeting her stricken eyes. _

"_Sixteen teenagers, waking up in a building that looks like their school, with only hazy memories of how they got there?" I asked. "Really?"_

_I looked down, read a little more. _

"_It's….not the same. Not exactly the same. But it feels really similar." I said. "So what, you're saying that someone's taken this as what…inspiration for this?"_

"_Pretty much." Seiko sighed heavily. _

"_It's not like it's a blow-by-blow account of what happened, so how could this be your fault?"_

"_It's similar enough. It gets even more so…like how the 'punishments' work. Those are the same as the executions. At least in making us, the victims, do it. I wanted to tone it down, actually, but I was encouraged to keep it as it was, for now."_

"_Who?" I blinked. "Wait, no, him?"_

"_Yeah…."_

"_But does that mean…?"_

"_I don't know. It's a tentative connection at best, and a flimsy basis for accusation. But…there you have it."_

I sighed and flopped backwards, staring up at the ceiling. Under normal circumstances I'd appreciate the puffiness of the pillows and the springy mattress, but they were not much of a consolation now. The copy I had now wasn't the one she had shown me back then-that had disappeared after she'd died. I'd gone back to her room to look for it, only to find that it had been taken. So had all her things, the way all the other dead had had their rooms cleared out. The police, I remembered, had found all their personal effects dumped in boxes into one of the rooms we weren't allowed in. I hadn't heard anything about the script though, and I hadn't wanted to ask.

No, this copy had come courtesy of Seiko's little brother a couple of years after everything had happened, boxing things up when his parents were not able to and picking a bunch at random that he'd thought I'd like to keep, then sending them on to me. In amongst photographs and stationery and soft shirts, the script was there. It wasn't the only film related documentation in there, but it had been in there. I remembered sitting with it, wondering if I could break the promise of never talking about it to tell the others about it. Or whether I should bypass them completely, go to the police. _What would be the point, _I had thought in the end, when it was as she said, a flimsy basis for accusation? And with so much I was working through back then, in the end it had been so, so much easier to put it aside. To almost forget about it. I'd been careful with the script, making sure that nobody else could get their hands on it, even though there was no way the significance could be understood beyond it being a final project of hers. But all the same, beyond that, I'd tried to make a point of forgetting it.

_But now….now….maybe it's time. _

I let out a breath, and curled up on my side, drawing the pages of the script to me as though they were a stuffed toy and holding them close. Then, I closed my eyes, and hoped that somehow, a solution would come to me.

**…**

_Nobuyuki_

"Alright, before we continue-are you alright to go on?" I checked.

Azami nodded cautiously.

"Y-yeah."

"This is going to seem repetitive, but that's what police work is, most of the time." I explained to her. "Checking and checking and checking the details. That way, we know we've got the culprit for sure and then they can face justice, and the victims can get closure. Like yourself."

"Mhm."

Azami's hands curled around the can, but she didn't lift it to her lips. Instead, she gazed at me, so disconcertingly open that I looked down at my notes to settle myself.

"Alright then," I said, brisk and cheerful. "So, I think we've gone over the first part of the encounter more than enough, so let's go back over when you and Eizo initially crossed the road to try and get home. Did Kamiya-san try to physically pull you back, or did he just call out?"

"Just call out," Azami said, shaking her head. "He said 'I'm talking to you' and then tried to get across the road. He had…he had a bit of a limp, so Eizo went to help him, but he didn't need the help."

"He went to help him come over to you, even though Kamiya-san was harassing you?"

Azami gave a one-shouldered shrug.

"Neither of us wanted him run over."

"Still, why not just guide him back to outside the restaurant?"

"I mean, he didn't actually need the help-he got to us before Eizo got to him." Azami frowned in confusion.

"Okay, okay," I said quickly. "I suppose that makes sense. Then what? Was there anything particular he said to you? Really thinking about that specific little moment, was there anything specific?"

"I mean, he asked again if we'd come from the hospital, and he directly addressed me. Because I can talk now, so to him that meant I should talk."

"Were those his words 'you can talk'?"

"Mhm."

"And did you tell him anything?"

"I mean, I couldn't. I tried to tell him, then Eizo asked him to leave me alone, so he asked him instead."

Azami closed her eyes for a moment. I wondered if she was picturing the scene in her head. But a few moments ticked by, and she was still deep in whatever thoughts that she had.

"Then what, Kishinami-chan?" I prompted gently.

"Erm…" she opened her eyes. "Then when Eizo told him to ask the police, he asked us about…about twenty years ago…"

"About his daughter, yes? He wanted to know if you'd seen who killed her."

"I didn't."

I blinked at the sudden insistence.

"Didn't what?"

"See."

Her voice trembled, and her hand gripped the can more tightly. In surprise, she looked down at it, then cautiously lifted it to her lips and took a small sip before settling it down on the table.

"What happened after he asked?"

As soon as I did ask though, I realised what she actually meant. To Azami's credit though, she didn't seem particularly annoyed by this, or confused. She just shook her head sadly as she looked at me.

"I didn't see what happened to Moeka-chan."

"Ah, of course you didn't."

"I wasn't even there." She murmured. "They asked if I could sit it out. "

"Sit what out, Kishinami-chan?"

Azami looked down at the can once again, and there was yet another long pause. Except this time, she began to speak before I needed to prompt her again.

"Usually we had to be there, no matter what, no excuses. Not that there had been any before, apart from not wanting to go. But this time…I'm not sure who it was, but they let me stay. Lie down. I must have slept, I don't know. Nobody could stay with me, but I could stay. "

"Stay where, Kishinami-chan?"

Azami didn't answer, continuing to stare into her can. She wasn't refusing to answer, she was completely lost in whatever she was thinking. Gently, I tapped the table.

"Kishinami-chan," I said, loud but not too much. "Can you tell me what happened next?"

The way I thought it was-whatever she'd said was a diversion. I'd get the sequence of events with Tetsuji pinned down first, and try and probe more of what she was saying.

Azami blinked.

"Sorry, I…he blocked the car door." She said. "Eizo told me to get into the car, but Kamiya-san stood in front of the door."

"Did he try to restrain you? Did he touch you at all?"

"I mean…" Azami's face scrunched up. "He came up very close to Eizo, and then when I tried to go around the other side, he tried to reach for me, but Eizo stopped him. "

"What did they say to each other?"

"M-more of the same, really. Wanting to know what happened."

"Nothing particular was said at all? By either Amai-kun or Kamiya-san? Or you."

"I mean…." Azami frowned. "I didn't say anything…..I couldn't….."

"Eizo kept apologising, and Kamiya-san kept saying we were lying, just pressing, really. He was upset. Is that the kind of thing you mean?"

I studied Azami carefully for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"It is, for the most part," I said carefully. "The thing is, we have also talked to Kamiya-san to get a better picture of what happened."

The change was instant. Azami had picked up the can again, but her grip started to loosen. Her eyes widened, flaring and she stared at me. The can slipped, the corner hitting the table before it toppled over, spilling liquid over the floor. The clatter made her jump, looking at it for a moment before returning her fearful gaze to me.

"No," she shook her head. "No, no. I…that's….he…."

"You know, then? What I'm referring to?"

Azami nodded, panicked, wringing her hands.

"I can't….I can't say it. The words. I can't. _Please_."

Her breath started to quicken, and so I nodded, keeping calm.

"Yes, yes, that's fine. So…did he say that?"

I waited patiently, as Azami took deep breaths, composing herself. Her hands went in her lap, though they clutched tightly at her skirt. Then slowly, she nodded.

"And is it true?"

There was more hesitation, but once again, she nodded.

"And can you confirm that for the audio recording? That Eizo Amai claimed that Moeka Kamiya was the one to kill Akari Kishinami, and that you confirm this to be true?"

A moment, and another. Then, Azami's eyes filled with tears, huge glistening drops that spilled out instantly, rolling down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook, and she made no effort to wipe the tears. But after a moment, she spoke. Just a whisper, just one word, but all the confirmation needed:

"Yes."


	26. Detective-ing

**While THINGS are going down for the Survivors and Investigators, lets see what the Prospectives are up to :)**

* * *

_Otsuka_

To my great disappointment, after not only failing at managing to find out anything from that meeting with the survivors, we had ended up at Rieka's house instead. Still, she had the shoebox, so I supposed that was worth it. After we'd all said hello to her mother and endured Rieka introducing the others and negotiating snack arrangements (no little brother baking today, apparently), we trooped up to her bedroom.

"It'll be easier if you sit on the floor for this, but grab a cushion-_not_ a pillow-or something to make yourself comfortable if you want."

"Sure, sure." Akio said easily.

They all settled themselves. I simply plopped myself onto the fluffy rug-it was soft enough, and besides, there were bigger worries. I had to stop myself from fidgeting like an over-enthusiastic five year old while Rieka went to get the shoebox.

"I didn't want to ask right out there, but are you alright?" Akemi asked softly.

It took me a moment to realise who she was talking to, but quickly realised that she was talking to Akagi. I turned to the red-headed boy, sitting cross-legged, posture almost at perfect as Akemi's (though she was sitting with her legs tucked beneath her in a perfect kneel, all traditional-like) and studied him.

"Yeah, are you?" I asked.

Sure, it was out of curiosity I asked the question, yet at the same time there was something about his face, not nearly as expressive as you'd expect but at the same time perfectly revealing what he was feeling. And I had to admit I had been startled too. I was perfectly aware that Akagi had lost a brother, that he now lived with his uncle, but I hadn't dug too deeply. Why would I have, when it had nothing to do with what I needed to know? All that had been important was the fact that he was a tangible link to a survivor, the rest had been background noise. I hadn't been prepared for the viciousness that would meet me, and that lack of preparedness annoyed me.

_Have to admit, she annoys me too. God, trauma or no trauma, what a damn bitch. _Still, I'd leave it to Akemi and Akio to do the consoling thing, since they were clearly the type for that.

Akagi sighed softly, but remained silent for a moment, before nodding.

"That was mild, don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?" Akemi asked. "I am sure that whatever the full story is, you don't deserve that."

Akagi's eyes widened slightly as he turned his head towards where Akemi was sitting. He blushed slightly, then inclined his head.

"Thank you."

"That was _mild_?" Mitsuhide spluttered. "Jesus, I don't want to know what your idea of severe is, but your mother was _savage_. Speaking of which, how come neither of you told us about your mothers being survivors?"

Ah, yes, another thing that I was annoyed about, and at least annoyance didn't come with frustrating side dishes of pity and shock. I turned to Akio and mock-glared. Well, half mock-glared.

"Yes, why didn't you tell us? I could have handled that situation so much better if I had known."

Akio's mouth opened slightly in shock, somewhat goldfish like as he clearly struggled to formulate an answer.

"I mean, I was going to, but…" he shrugged. "I…..well, I didn't know until recently, see?"

"How recent is recent?" Mitsuhide wanted to know.

God, finally, a vaguely sensible question coming from his over-groomed mouth.

"I guess when the news first came out about the re-opening of the investigation. Oh, and when I got my invitation in the post. Mum was really upset about it, and still is, especially because my Dad's on the investigative team."

"WAIT, WHAT?"

Both Mitsuhide and Ritsuka seemed surprised by this, though it was only the irritating one who had shouted this utterance of surprise. I rolled my eyes, and noticed Rieka didn't seem too impressed by the surprise either. It was mildly disconcerting to realise we had more in common, even if she was ridiculously frivolous with it.

"That's something we can worry about later, but Arisato, can you get your mum to talk?"

"I'm not sure. She's already upset that I know about all this in the first place, I don't think she ever wanted me to."

"That seems understandable to me." Akemi nodded thoughtfully.

"Does it?" I asked sceptically.

"No reasonable parent would want their child to know that they were kidnapped and almost murdered, and potentially watched their friends die." Ritsuka added.

Reasonable parents, huh? I supposed that made sense. I mean, I wasn't sure I'd keep any kid of mine completely in the dark about my history, but even I knew there was a big gulf between that and completely traumatising them with gory details. That of course left open the question of when and how Akagi found out about _his_ mother, since there was no way that she could be considered reasonable by _any_ stretch of the imagination. But that, I decided, could be shelved for now, as there were far more important considerations.

"So-"

"While I am at it," Ritsuka continued over me, sounding almost bored. "I may as well declare a relationship to a survivor of my own. Though, relationship is a stretch."

The silence that followed this statement was of the a-pin-could-drop variety. I stared at Ritsuka for a good long moment, wondering who it could be. Only two survivors had had children, and Eizo and Azami had both lost their only siblings-everyone else was an only child. So…

"Eikichi Hanamura is my cousin. But I'm fairly sure that he isn't aware of this, because my parents have been divorced for a long time, and I haven't been in contact with my dad since that time."

"Which was…?" I asked.

"When I was about three."

Right, well. That wasn't going to be much use then, at least not in the immediate term. I sighed, and nodded.

"Perhaps now would be a good time to move on?" Rieka asked.

I glared at her, any feeling of kinship duly shelved. Rieka just snickered and shook the bells on that stupid headband of hers.

"Yes," I said stiffly. "Lets. So, I think we can establish that there wasn't really any information of note to be gained from the tour."

"Maybe nothing in terms of specific information, but we can still compare the attitudes though, right?" Akio asked. "I read some stuff, there were a lot of complaints about the way the old school handled safety."

"Yes, that's right," Akemi nodded. "A few years before the students disappeared, there was a big campaign formed by two former students to try and tackle the issues of stalking, particularly towards teenagers. There was quite a big scandal, as the two named Hope's Peak as one of their specific reasons for doing so."

"And there were a lot of rumours that some of the girls were getting stalked." Rieka said. "But all the school higher-ups consistently denied or tried to minimise it…where's….."

Rieka whipped open the lid of the shoebox and dug through before pulling something out.

"Take a look at this 'we do need to get the young people back, especially as they had such a big role in the organisation….' Can you believe that, they straight up said that they were only worried about the inconvenience….and then 'the rules of society do not fully apply to such brilliant beings'….Oh, and there is this one…..'there are risks from being in the public eye and if people do not like it then really, they shouldn't aspire to it."

"Let us read them, for fucking crying out loud!"

Rieka pretended to think about this for a few maddening seconds, but then passed it over to me, then riffled through to pull out a few more and passed them around to the others.

"Do you need me to read it to you?" Akemi asked Akagi.

"Uh, oh, no thank you. My phone has a screen reader. But could you position it for me?"

Akagi looked surprised and pleased that Akemi had asked him if she could help, more than happy to have her attention. It was the weirdest thing.

"Of course I can, that's not a problem."

Even weirder was the fact she was so placidly happy to do so, despite having roundly defeated him so recently. Oh well. I concentrated on reading the interview transcript and scribbling some notes, while the others all read.

"it doesn't seem like the Principal knew very much."

I looked curiously at Ritsuka.

"What do you mean?"

"He mostly says the same sort of thing, and whenever Kazuo Tengan is present he tends to look to him."

"It is a bit weird that a retired principal still maintained such a big role in the school," Rieka said. "My uncle thought the same thing too according to his notes, but there wasn't ever anything to pin him down. Indeed, since he was in the school so often, that proved to be his alibi-he hadn't been anywhere near Shirohata during the estimated period Class 78-B were in captivity, or nearby any of the other locations that they stopped at on the way."

"You'd think though, he'd want to put more effort into finding them." Akio wondered.

"Yes, his reaction is a bit dodgy," Mitsuhide said. "I mean he probably had like some serious closet skeletons that he didn't want out, but even if all he wanted them back for was the party you'd think that he'd still put all into them being found. After all, in the end they had to cancel what would have been one of the biggest occasions in the world, because the students were still missing at that point."

"And at that point, some of them had probably already died." Akio murmured.

I gave him a sideways glance, surprised at his melancholy, but then I noticed Akagi had taken out his earphones and had been listening closely to us.

"What are your thoughts, Benbow?" I asked.

"I think he knew something. It's hard to say what, but he knew _something_."

"It's probably in here, somehow, if we can put it all together." Rieka said lazily as she gestured to her box.

"I think it might have something to do with the stalking complaints that some of the class were rumoured to have been making," Akemi said. "If it was the culprit, then they would have been staking out the class for a long time, and thus specifically chose them. They would have then taken advantage of the trip being unsupervised, and the road being isolated, to carry out the abduction."

"There's a witness statement from a worker at the inn the class stayed at in Yodoe as well," Akio said. "Apparently someone phoned the inn and claimed that they were the staff and asked for an update on what the kids were doing, and some neighbourhood kids remembered seeing a weird car around. But when the staff were questioned, they all denied having made such a call."

"Who did they specifically pretend to be?" I asked.

"Ummm….there were two phone calls, one claiming to be the homeroom teacher, one being Principal Kirigiri."

_The homeroom teacher, huh? _ There was something there, too, since at first she had been one of the few people who came across as actually worried about her class. I'd have to think about that one.

"That's just weird, but you wanna know what _I'm_ wondering?" Mitsuhide asked grandly.

"No."

Rieka and I both said that in unison, and though Mitsuhide pouted, he wasn't deterred. He just sat up straighter, and adjusted his fancy tie before launching into his question.

"Why that class specifically? What made them more special than the other classes? I mean, they were all kids with Talents right, so surely they were interchangeable. And though quite a few had something approaching a celebrity status, there were others who were a great deal more niche. It would have been a lot more attention grabbing to get a class with Coda Kanzaki in it, for example, especially with the controversies surrounding her family. On the other hand, Kiran Nanakai and Teiichi Kazama weren't particularly famous in the proper celeb sense, for example. "

"They had Seiko Yamamoto, for crying out loud." Rieka responded.

"Yes, but I do believe I still have a point." Mitsuhide retorted, his voice taking on an affected snootiness.

"Oh, I saw something to answer that…." Akio said. "I think Principal Kirigiri said something….."

Akio paused and flicked through his sheets. I decided to reply to Akemi instead.

"That makes sense," I said. "It's complicated by the fact that anyone could walk onto the grounds in those days, as long as it was for the sake of Talent, or publicising it."

"Ah, they were a representation of modern Japan!" Akio exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"Because of there being a number of mixed students-including my mother-and a foreigner. Oh, and also three sets of siblings in the same class was meant to be special."

"Would that be enough to make them targets?" Ritsuka said, frowning slightly. "It seems a bit….thin."

"Well, attitudes towards mixed people were changing quite rapidly in 2019," Akemi said thoughtfully. "As a country we've come a longer way since then when it comes to our attitudes towards mixed and foreign people. "

"There were some far-right nationalist suspects, weren't there?" I remembered. "I think they were ruled out though."

"Yeah, even the most anti-foreign person was very pro-Hope's Peak, and particularly wanted the party to go ahead." Rieka nodded.

"Mmm….I guess the point here is more that it was just another reason to make them stand out, make them get a lot more attention…" Akio trailed off thoughtfully.

"Okay, so I guess for now we're focusing on the whole thing of them being special and therefore followed?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Ah! We should probably start writing this lot down!"

Rieka bounded up, went to her desk, and then grabbed some sheets of paper, sticky notes and markers. She scribbled some things down, and then leaned over and unpinned a large poster from a pin board I'd noticed the last time that I was here, but hadn't really paid attention to before. Though, now I was thinking about it, it was a lot emptier than I thought I remembered. Looking around, I spotted another pin board with stuff on it. So either this was new, or she'd switched them around. She then pinned up the scribbled sheets and pinned them in various places.

A few of these sheets were simply headings reading 'STAFF-IRRESPONSIBILITY?' , 'WHY 78-B?, 'TARGETING' , while the sticky notes were placed near and around the headings just contained summaries of what we had just been talking about.

"You're not worried about your brother seeing it, or something?" I asked pointedly.

Rieka glared at me.

"I have things to cover it with, it's fine."

"Well, if you say so."

"…"

Rieka took a deep breath, then smiled beatifically before flashing me the middle finger and grabbing a bunch of pens and the rest of the sticky notes. She then made a point of addressing the others.

"We may as well write some things so we can work out where to go, and I've got string as well, so we can go proper old-style incident board."

"Sounds good to me." Akemi nodded.

Rieka grinned, and bounded around handing sticky notes and pens before sitting back down. I frankly couldn't be bothered, so I just reached over for the box and grabbed it.

"He-"

"Oh relax, I'm not _stealing_ it, for crying out loud."

"Oh, FINE. You're tidying though."

"May I also have a look?" Akemi asked politely. "I want to see if there are any patterns in the deaths."

"Oh, sure."

Of course, Rieka had absolutely no problem with Akemi asking for it. Of course she didn't. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Gimme a moment, I'll pass it over."

I briskly pulled a few things out at random, and then promptly did so and started looking through as the others talked.

"There was one already, wasn't there? The whole every other was a torture thing?" Mitsuhide asked unexpectedly.

"The…what now?" Akio asked.

"How do you not know that? I mean, the fact it was a pattern was held back, but at the very least it was known some of them died by more conventional murder means, while others had such violent deaths they seemed like tortures."

"And even those within the same broad category were wildly different to each other." Akemi added thoughtfully. "It was almost as if they could have been killed by a number of different people."

"What if they were?"

Once again, a pin-drop-type silence. We all stared at Ritsuka, who had stretched her legs out, seeming more comfortable. Seeming being the key word, because she gave nothing away as she gave a one-shouldered shrug.

"Perhaps the killings were so disorganised because there _were_ multiple killers?" she clarified. "It isn't out of the bounds of possibility."

"That _does_ make sense." Akemi agreed.

"Put it on the board." Rieka ordered. "That can be something we can dig into."

Ritsuka nodded slowly, and carefully wrote it on a sticky note she had been given. She seemed in no particular rush to do so, but once she had she reached over and snagged the box Akemi had left in the middle of our circle, and we spent some more time looking through and discussing possible theories that we had. After a little while, Rieka's mother called up, leaving Rieka to rush down to get the snacks. When she came back up, she decreed a break.

"But we've just started." I said. "We can't waste time."

"Refueling isn't a waste of time," Rieka said. "Besides, Rome wasn't built in a day, you know."

"I can't think it'll hurt," Akio said as he reached for a cookie and a napkin, nibbling thoughtfully.

Of course, Akemi, Akagi and Ritsuka also zoned straight in on the snacks, which meant that I probably wasn't going to get that much support in powering through. I had to admit they looked good though.

As I grabbed a tiny, unbearably pretty cupcake, Mitsuhide first took a napkin and laid it on his lap, then another one and tucked it into his collar, before then taking a cookie for himself.

"This is a bespoke suit, you know." Was his only eye-roll inducing explanation.

For a few moments, everyone concentrated on eating, but then after a few moments, we all looked at each other, apparently waiting for the others to say something of some kind. I was reminded that we had all literally met for the first time today, and it was a surprise that we hadn't fallen into the awkward type of silence sooner. Then again, we had just gotten straight down to business.

_Oh, well. _

I nibbled my cupcake and lamented a little, but as I did, I became aware of a phone going off. It took me a little while to realise it was mine. I quickly swallowed a mouthful and fished my phone out of my bag before getting up and looking to see who it was.

"Excuse me."

I moved to a corner of Rieka's room, staring at her walls as I answered the call.

"Kamiya-san?"

"My daughter's been accused of murder!"

What? My heartbeat quickened, and I quickly glanced over at Rieka's 'old style board' and at the little blue square that had Ritsuka's question on it. _A number of different people. _It was ridiculous on the face of it, but all investigations had to be conducted with an open mind. So I turned back and said.

"Tell me what happened."

**…**

_Ritsuka_

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the phone call Otsuka had just received had been one with good news. And considering she was a journalist, it was clearly of the good-scoop variety. Which is why I wasn't so sure why she was staring at us from across the room with a smug look.

"Um….what was the phone call about?" Akio asked after a couple of moments, sounding uncertain.

"Oh thank god, someone just asked!"

"You couldn't have just told us anyway?"

It was exactly what I had been thinking, but the comment hadn't come from me, but from Akagi. So it wasn't nearly as sarcastic a question as a result. Still, it earned him a redundant raised eyebrow, as Otsuka's smirk increased.

"I am in contact with Moeka Kamiya's father." She began. "I'm sure that you all know who he was, so I won't waste my fucking time with the details. The point is, he isn't happy with the way the investigation was run before, and isn't happy about it now. So he's enlisted my help-or rather, I suppose I've made the most of his wish to gain some more information myself. Oh, don't look at me like that, I don't intend to leave the man in the lurch, but you can't deny that we both get something out of such an arrangement. Mind you, the man's a bit of a loose cannon, which what happens when you tunnel-vision to avenge a murdered daughter, but he's just told me…"

Here, she stopped, and looked at all of us. Once again, I was surprised by who responded first-this time, Mitsuhide, letting out a groan as he face-palmed with an audible _thunk_. When he let his hand drop back to his side I was surprised he hadn't injured his face with all that jewellery he wore.

"Oh for crying out loud, you are just as bad at that woman over there. Please just _tell us_."

Mitsuhide's voice took on a pleading quality I hadn't heard in it since we'd met earlier today as his neatly trimmed eyebrows furrowed and he pointed over at Rieka. I resisted the urge to nod in commiseration-that, and the urge to roll my eyes. The way I was going, I'd probably completely wear them out between him, Rieka and the over-confident journalist who was _clearly_ enjoying this situation.

"He claimed that he had a confrontation with two survivors, and that one of them claimed that his daughter was the one responsible for killing Akari Kishinami."

"What? That doesn't make any sense!" Akio exclaimed, looking utterly horrified.

"Who were the two survivors?"

Akemi asked this at almost the same time, and startled, looking at Akio who just seemed a little sheepish, though his eyes were now worried. Akemi's own gaze was tinged with concern for him, and I could swear I saw her hands twitch a little, as if supressing the urge to reach out. I narrowed my eyes at this, not sure what to make of it. She caught my eye and her own widened a little, betraying shock. But all too quickly, she recovered herself, and was back to being oh-so-serene again. _Hmmm…._

"Oh, I'm sorry, Arisato-kun," she apologised, ever so contrite. "I didn't mean to interrupt. "

"Ah, it's fine," Akio laughed. "I wasn't even asking a question anyway. Just….no, it's okay. Go ahead, Koizumi-sempai."

Akemi lowered her head humbly in a gesture of thanks and then repeated her question. Thankfully for all of us, Otsuka directly answered.

"Eizo Amai and Azami Kishinami."

"Oooooh boy." Rieka said.

"I don't imagine that a teenager could have been responsible for such a large-scale tragedy though." Akagi pointed out. "is there a possibility that he was lying? Or perhaps misunderstood what was said?"

"I'd say misunderstanding is a possibility at least, " Otsuka said. "The old man does seem prone to that. But that doesn't mean the possibility should be dismissed out of hand."

"Oh, come on!" Rieka said. "She was a teenage girl. And while teenagers, present company almost all included, are awesome, and she was an SHSL just….this was something else completely, and there was no evidence any of them had such depraved inclinations."

Mitsuhide snorted at this.

"This is kind of rich from a girl who constantly over-sells herself by solving so-called 'mysteries' while badmouthing beloved books, but sure, whatever."

Rieka turned to glare at him fiercely, her nostrils flaring.

"_What _did you just say about me?"

"Oh, you heard."

_Yep, I'm definitely going to wear my eyes out from too much rolling_.

"I wouldn't really know about these things…"

Akio spoke up hesitantly after a few moments passed and all of us could be reasonably sure that the spat wasn't going to continue.

"But this doesn't seem like something somebody could have managed to do perfectly for the first time, right? Not just killing, but hiding them away for so long and stalking and abducting…either the culprits spent a really long time planning, or they've done things like this before."

"Wouldn't such events have been in the news?" Akagi asked.

_Sure, if something exactly the same had happened with a different Hope's Peak class, or even with any other group of people in the public eye, _I thought. _ But if I remember correctly from what I've read…_

"Serial killers escalate," I decided to say. "Not that this is anything I know much about. But they start small, and then build up to more horrific crimes if left unchecked. It could be part of the same thing."

"Moeka Kamiya's father claims that too." Otsuka said, finally coming to sit back down. "He even had examples of crimes he thought might be by the same person, which I'll need to review."

"Well, maybe that could be our next task?" Akio offered.

"Hey, I'm starting to like you." Otsuka grinned.

"Um, thanks?"

"Yeah, there are a lot of amateur crime solving forums-I am sure you're familiar, Amasaki-san-and while a lot of it is drivel there are threads of truth in them."

"I don't mind doing that." I said quickly.

"Great, perfect, that'll be your task." Otsuka declared.

There was a pause. Mitsuhide started fiddling with his rings, while Rieka played with her own jewellery. Akemi looked through more of Rieka's documents, passing them between Akio and Akagi, and Otsuka read others. I just watched, yawning slightly. A couple of us took more snacks, but the silence stretched awkwardly.

"Riight, well, maybe we should wrap this up now. "

"I have another question though, if I may." Akagi spoke up after a moment.

"Sure, go for it." Rieka said.

"Who are the Oomori family, exactly?" he asked. "The name comes up a lot in the staff interviews, and the lawyer that sits with the Principal and Tengan has the surname."

"Oomori?" Akio asked.

"T-that's what my screenreader is reading it as."

"No, the kanji is right." Otsuka said. "They weren't staff though, they were-"

"How can you not know who they are? The Oomori family are old money, extremely old. They're the founders not just of Oomori Electronics but also of The Oomori Foundation and a large number of them have also had success in the creative fields. The youngest of Kazutaka Oomori's three children, Miyako-san, has actually starred in Hollywood films, alongside my eldest brother Seiichi who I'm sure you have all heard of-he's the next most attractive sibling after me, of course. Kazutaka Oomori himself has also always had an interest in directing films, though he is more interested in arthouse horror movies. His father Kazukiyo Oomori was a lawyer in his dayjob, but had a brief stint as an actor and he was best friends with my grandfather, the great Taichi Okita."

Mitsuhide smirked at us as he finished his little ramble, sitting up straighter and his brown eyes gaining a self-important glint.

"That…you actually know something. I'm impressed." Rieka snickered.

"What does that have to do with Hope's Peak though?" Otsuka asked, clearly not ready to be impressed yet.

"Kazutaka Oomori spent a lot of time at Hope's Peak, because his father was the lawyer for the school due to his extensive connections with Kazuo Tengan-he was childhood friends with Kazuharu Oomori, Kazukiyo Oomori's father and was essentially a godfather figure to both the Kiyo and the Taka of the family, and the three children that Kazutaka Oomori had-Kazunari, Kazuhiro and Miyako. And one of the first organisations that The Oomori foundation supported was, of course, Hope's Peak."

Otsuka's eyes bugged out, while Rieka's jaw dropped open, and the others all seemed various shades of astonished.

"Wait, you _know_ things." Otsuka said. "But how come you _don't_ know things?"

I had no idea what she meant by that, but Mitsuhide shrugged, looking sheepish.

"Well, until now, I just figured it was a part of the past, nothing more. Just something that my parents' illustrious circle gossiped about. But now…things are different and though my knowledge is lacking I will change that in order to solve this."

Rieka raised an eyebrow, but to my relief did not say anything.

"That gossip could be valuable though, especially if we're looking into the culpability Hope's Peak might have had." I decided to say, pointing my thumb at the pin board.

"Yes, yes….well, I think we can call it a day." Otsuka said. "Tomorrow, we can regroup and start to actually do things. Shall we meet at….8am? I am willing to come back _here_, to make things simpler."

"8am?" Mitsuhide moaned. "But that's so early."

"Not all of us are local though," Akemi said. "Won't that cause problems? I would offer to have people stay with me, but I do not think my parents will approve, unfortunately."

_Really? _There wasn't really any reason for me to doubt that, but all the same, that was my instinct.

"Alright, who of us are not local or at least in one of the surrounding towns?" Rieka asked.

Only Mitsuhide and I put our hands up, and when he realised this, he gave me one of those annoying flirtatious grins he'd been trying on all the girls all day.

"Right, that should be easy-I have space for someone in my crashpad, but the other one of you will have to go elsewhere. So, Nishimiya-san, think you'll manage kipping on the sofa?"

I stared at her.

"I don't _have_ anything with me. And I don't think anything of yours will fit me."

"Who said I was going to offer?" she fired back with a grin. "Go back home and get some stuff, then meet me at mine."

Again, I stared, but this time I didn't bother refraining from rolling my eyes. Let them wear out.

"Do you know _where_ I came from today?" I asked. "It's not exactly a quick trip."

Otsuka sighed heavily, and the others exchanged looks.

"It's not a quick trip for me either, but I'm used to keeping long hours, naturally, in order to keep the fans happy." Mitsuhide said self-importantly. "It shouldn't be an issue at all for me to get some things and come back to wherever I am staying, though I may be a little late in arriving."

"Pffft, more like sending them to sleep." Rieka snarked.

"Surely it wouldn't be that bad if she went back for the night and just came back each day?" Akio asked. "Or is that too much to ask on such a regular basis?"

"It would be ridiculous, and pointless too." I stated simply.

_It's 2039, have you not heard of the internet?_ Still, screens were a barrier, weren't they? And this was the type of mystery one had to get all close and personal with, the way it seemed. All those different questions coming up, and the revelations. I just hoped I wouldn't live to regret this.

Because although it was kind of tempting to back out at this point, there were a number of reasons I couldn't. Firstly, I had been seen fiddling with the tablets, and even though I hadn't done anything and hadn't intended on doing so, that wasn't exactly a great start to my time at Hope's Peak. I really didn't want that to be spilled, and Otsuka was clearly a girl who knew how to use any and every titbit of information she gathered to her own ends. Secondly, I was actually intrigued and I didn't want to walk away from something that was going to make my summer that little bit more interesting. What else would I really be doing with this time, anyway, if I wasn't here? Just the same as most other summers, and while there was nothing wrong with that, well…why would I pass up a more tantalising alternative?

And finally, there was Eikichi Hanamura. Loath as I was to admit it, it didn't matter one jot that I had never met him until now, that he still didn't know who I was or that I existed. I didn't even care about getting him to know me. Yet that connection had been bought home to me in a weird way, despite the absolute shambles that encounter had been. Perhaps it wasn't my biggest priority, but all the same, it mattered.

It mattered. And I wasn't sure how I felt about that, and right there, was another reason.

"Would it be easier, maybe, for you to go back home for the night," Akemi spoke up suddenly. "Then come back tomorrow with things and then perhaps stay with Jihara-san for the next few days?"

"Of _course_!" Otsuka clapped her hands decisively. "That makes perfect sense now, doesn't it?"

I thought about this for a moment, considering the practicalities, but in reality I knew that even if the practicalities hadn't worked out, I would have found a way to do this anyway. So, although it was a heavy sigh and sense of foreboding, I nodded wearily.

"Sure, I'll do that."

"Perfect!" Otsuka said. "Having all of us together will make things a lot easier."

"Wait, what about me?" Mitsuhide demanded. "Where am I staying?"

"I'd offer, but I'm actually staying away from home at the moment, because of Mum's stress about what's happening." Akio apologised. "Normally she loves having my friends over."

"I am staying with my uncle, but he'd need a few days' notice first…."

"Oh, fiiiine. Just gimme a moment to ask."

Before anyone could react, Rieka jumped up and abruptly ran downstairs. We all exchanged looks, but then just as quickly she came back up again.

"You can stay in one of my older sib's rooms, okay?" she addressed Mitsuhide. "But this doesn't mean that I like you or anything. I still think you're an insufferable, pompous git."

"And I think you're raging and hysterical, but we can't have everything. And I will gladly accept the invitation because sacrifices must be made for the better good. "

"So, _you'll_ be coming with me tonight, and _you're _going home but off to stay with Jihara-chan tomorrow night?"

Mitsuhide and I both nodded in agreement, and since that was considered settled we all chatted a bit more, coming to a consensus that we'd all try and read up a little more, particularly about the topics we'd discussed, so that we could start making a game plan tomorrow. I, of course, was going to try and pinpoint crime forum posts of use, and Akemi suggested that she try and make a tentative psychological profile since she had some kind of expertise in this. But finally, eventually, we were all getting ready to leave when-

"AHEM?"

Rieka had her hands on her hips, and she glared at us all.

"Um…." Akio asked a little tentatively. "What's wrong?"

"Did you all forget?"

She gestured to the floor, where the contents of her shoebox were all still strewed across. All of us exchanged looks, and then, we laughed.

"Ooops."


	27. Recollections 2: Seiko Yamamoto

We walked into the kitchen together and looked around.

"Alright, what are we going to be making then?" Friede asked.

Sadie had already headed straight to the cupboard that we'd discovered contained vegetables when we'd been exploring earlier, and pulled out a large aubergine.

"Baba ganoush!" she exclaimed. "I'll just toast some bread to have with it, and maybe cut some carrot sticks as well-it's like hummus."

This clarification was in response to our quizzical looks-my own included, presumably. Though now she had made the connection, I remembered it suddenly-smoky and intense, thicker than I had expected, but filling too.

"You made that for my birthday last year, I remember." I said with a smile. "It was just the thing to have on a cold October evening."

"Oh yeah!" Moeka exclaimed. "I remember it now! Oh, that tasted so good, you really are such a good cook, Sadie-chan!"

"Yep, yep!" Sadie beamed, blushing slightly. "That's right, Yamamoto-chan! But that won't be enough on it's own…I'm thinking of doing some prawn skewers, and maybe _coxinhas_ too…..then again, I want to make falafels again."

Coxinhas, I remembered, were some sort of chicken thing, though Sadie included cream cheese in them too. She'd made them for the Kishinami's birthday picnic just last month, amongst other things.

"Do _all_ of them!" Osamu grinned, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I don't know about you, but I feel rather ravenous after…well, after that."

His admission sat heavily in the room for a moment while we all stared at each other, none of us wanting to acknowledge what we had been told in the hall of this strange school. I could understand it, not wanting to give the suggestion any power by directly mentioning it. But yet, it would always be there, wouldn't it? At least until we were rescued. Which we would be, I was sure. For now, though, we just needed to keep strong.

Or so I hoped, anyway.

"What ingredients will you need for these things?" Fumiaki asked suddenly, clapping his hands decisively. "We can all gather these things."

"Oh, right, well, for the baba ganoush, we'll need some garlic, lemon juice, any other herbs you can find…."

And so Sadie went on as I, Osamu, Fumiaki, Moeka and Friede followed her bidding. As we found things, and Sadie set us on tasks, she came up with other things she could make for ourselves.

"This is quite a lot, isn't it?" Friede asked.

"It is rather," Fumiaki wondered. "Will we even be able to eat all of it?"

"Oh, I will." Osamu said, smiling mischievously.

"Yeah, I know you will," Fumiaki muttered, rolling his eyes. "My dear brother will be exactly the same."

"Still, it does seem like quite a lot, Sadie-san." Friede said. "What if it runs out?"

In the midst of chopping chicken for the coxinhas, Sadie stopped abruptly, and bit her lip. She put her knife down and frowned.

"I didn't think of that…."

"I don't think it will," Moeka said, trying hard to be cheerful. "After all, I'm sure we will be rescued soon enough, right? There's no way nobody will notice we're missing!"

"Besides, this isn't enough to make a serious dent in our food supplies just on the first day." I added.

"Mmmm," Sadie frowned a little more, then allowed herself a smile. "In any case, we need to keep our strengths up, right? Can't do that if we don't have enough to eat!"

With this, she resumed her preparations, bustling as she instructed us with our different tasks. There was a comfortable hubbub for a little while as things went in and out of pans and the oven and gradually, this mix-and-match meal came to be.

"You're such a mother, Sadie-chan," Moeka commented at one point. "You're always cooking for us, and you never complain."

"I know, right?" Friede agreed, looking more relaxed than she had earlier.

"Oh, it's nothing, really." Sadie blushed. "I like cooking! Besides, I want to be a mother someday."

"Do you actually?"

Fumiaki's voice was surprised as he stared at her in surprise and I, too, regarded her in interest. Thinking about it, it didn't seem so strange that someone as accommodating and warm as Sadie would want to be a mother, yet it was still a bit of a surprise.

"Yeah," Sadie answered after a moment, still pink-cheeked but determined now. "I really do. I want to have my own family to raise, some day. Take care of them, watch them grow, all of it."

"I think you'd be good at it." I said.

"Oh, she definitely would be," Friede said. "Especially as she's wanted it forever, right?"

"Mmm, you're right, Free. But you don't think it's a bit weird?"

"Well, it feels a bit early for me to know personally if I want children or not, but if you're sure, then more power to you." Fumiaki shrugged. "Right?"

"Oh, definitely!" Moeka grinned. "Hey, Sadie-chan, what do I do with these?"

"Oh, let me have a look?"

The conversation momentarily paused as Sadie went to assist Moeka in assembling the falafels, and then getting Osamu to arrange the portions of bread slices and carrot sticks for the baba ganoush, before it picked up again.

"It's good to be sure of your goals," I said. "Is there anything else you want?"

Sadie's forehead puckered for a moment before she shook her head.

"Not really. I just want to dance, and I want to be a mother. That's all."

"What about you, Aozaki-kun?" Fumiaki asked suddenly, having been quiet for a while now.

I chuckled as Osamu stared at him bug eyed for a moment, Eventually though, he gave an exaggerated shrug.

"I dunno. Not sure it's my thing, I'd rather be the vodka aunt."

"The vodka aunt?" Moeka echoed.

"Vodka _aunt_?" I said at almost the same time, raising an eyebrow with the emphasis.

Osamu shrugged again, about to stick his hands into his pockets before realising that they were an absolute mess. Pulling a face, he went to wash them.

"Well, the concept of one, anyway."

"That's an aspiration I've never heard." Friede commented, half-smirking. "Well, I know who to be keeping an eye on if I have kids."

"Oh, it'll be fun really," Sadie said cheerily. "You'll all be great 'aunts' or 'uncles' to my future kids. I can't wait for them to meet you all."

"Oh my god, you're such a sap." Osamu laughed at this.

"Yeah, that was a bit mushy." Friede agreed amiably.

Sadie laughed too, and blushed more, before changing the subject to focus back on the food once again. With everything almost finished, we got plates and cutlery ready, and began taking it out to the canteen. Fumiaki, Osamu and I set these down, while the others put enough food on each table. Sadie then made sure there were glasses of water out for everyone before going to get them all.

"_You'll all be great 'aunts' or 'uncles' to my future kids. I can't wait for them to meet you all."_

Despite what we had been told today, and the fact that it was all so uncertain, as everyone exclaimed over the food and tucked in, worries suspended momentarily, I could not help but think: _I can't wait to meet them, too._


	28. Settling for the Best

_Tetsuji_

Once I had made the payment, I gathered up all my photocopies, and then the newspapers and books that I had been photocopying from. Putting my sheets into my bag, I went about putting the newspapers back where they had come from, but trying to remember the location of the books stumped me. In the end, I spotted a returns trolley and just decided to dump the books there before continuing on my way.

After finally being let out of the station, after I had gone back to the flat to call Otsuka, I had first headed to City Hall, and then to the library I had just left, looking for….well, I had not been sure what it was I had been looking for exactly. But I had found records pertaining to Hope's Peak with significant gaps in them, and more information about the murders I had thought were surely connected, and then as much information as I could find about the staff of Hope's Peak as well as the investigators of the case, and anyone connected to them. I'd need to go through it when I got back to the apartment, see if there was anything that would help make sense of things, or at least a hint as where I should look next.

It was not as if I could get information from other people. There was of course, the exception of Otsuka but even that, I wasn't sure of. The girl was the closest chance I had, what with being dismissed by the police. Truth be told, I wasn't holding much hope of ever being able to talk to Kirigiri's two children, not least because they were now detectives themselves and would probably see me in the same way.

As I approached the block, I looked around to see if Eizo and Azami could possibly be around. I didn't see the car that they had run away to last night, so it didn't seem like it. I still needed to get more out of them, but Otsuka would probably dig now that I'd told her what had happened and then if the police weren't taking it seriously they'd have to once it was out there in the world. I never thought I'd actively be helping a journalist make things harder for investigators, but then again I had never thought my daughter's life would be unfairly snuffed out without any justice. So there it was.

I opened my door and kicked off my shoes, going to sit in the living room and immediately pulling the sheets of paper out of my bag. Almost immediately, I came across the death certificate for Kazuo Tengan, and stared for a moment.

"_So, um. What else has been happening?"_

_For a moment, on the screen, I saw Moeka's face falter, but then just as quickly the expression was covered by a smile as she twirled a lock of hair. _

"_Ah, well, there've been a few weird things going on lately. Well, not that weird, but-"_

"_Moeka." I interrupted sharply. "Has something happened?"_

_Her eyes widened. _

"_Nothing's happened as such, Dad, really there's nothing to worry about, I don't think, but some of us, we feel like we've been followed around and we've had some slightly creepy visitors that seem to want to hang around us a lot and ask strange questions about my love life-Daaaaad, don't growl like that, you know me and Ayumi-chan are just friends now because we're in different schools, I don't have a love life! And no, I'm not waiting until thirty to resume one…."_

"_I think we're missing the point."_

_Of course, she was right that I didn't particularly want her to date, but she'd never been irresponsible about that before so I could let it go for now. Besides, I was more worried about what she was actually telling me. _

"_Anyway, Moeka, who are these people?"_

"_Oh, well, it's just you know, the random visitors who come, like people working with other students and sometimes some of the associates of the staff, like…"_

_She listed a few names._

"_And have they made overtures? Threats? Do you and your friends feel uncomfortable around them?"_

"_No to the first two, yes to the last. But it's not really anything to worry about, just a bit creepy. We stick together anyway, so nothing could happen."_

"_Do you want me to report them to the police?"_

"_What?" _

_Moeka had been as usually upbeat as she always was, but now the smile was wiped away by worry. Her gaze became shifty._

"_Moeka?"_

"_I….we thought about it."_

"_Who's we?"_

"_Oh me, Kimiko-chan, Akari-chan and Azami-chan…..a few of the other girls, and Aozaki-kun, Fumiaki-kun and Eizo-kun."_

"_So you thought about it and…"_

"_Well, because it was just feelings, we decided to go Principal Kirigiri, but we found Tengan-san instead. He made us fill out these forms and said it'd be fine and not to make a big fuss because that would make everything worse."_

"_Not to make a fuss? Who is this Tengan to say that? Doesn't he know that these people escalate?"_

"_Oh, I don't think he's like an actual stalker, he's doing projects with some of the other students…and anyway, it's reported, it's okay, okay Dad? I'm sure it will be okay!" _

Forms. There had been forms. My daughter had reported a problem, had filled forms about it…and then nothing had ever happened. Why had this not ever been followed up-because it hadn't, I knew it hadn't. I should have made a fuss back then-not even when she first went missing, but before. I should have insisted on talking to the detectives-because back then, we were fully on the same side. I should have demanded to talk to the Principal.I should have not been so easily swayed by my daughter's enthusiasm over a cross-country road trip undertaken without supervision. I should have done so many things that ultimately, I didn't. It was no comfort to me that it was not out of malice or deliberate deception, only a lax attitude and the openness that came with love. That didn't mean I couldn't hold that over the head of the school and everyone who stood for it.

There had been forms.

"So, where did those forms go?" I asked aloud. "Why were they never found? Were they destroyed? Or just hidden?"

_And if they were hidden, where would they be now?_ Feeling the dryness of my throat, I headed to the kitchen, yanked open the fridge door and contemplated the contents. I considered a carton of juice, but then grabbed a bottle of beer and went back to the living room, and back to my pile of papers. And as I went through them, a pattern of thought formed.

The Oomori family had multiple houses, and all of Kazukiyo Oomori's documents were either back in the archives of the legal firm he worked for, or with his son Kazutaka in a house that was undoubtedly secured to the gills. Jin Kirigiri's house had been sold off to care for his nursing home costs, and while it seemed likely his children had any important paperwork he might have had, I didn't even know how to get a hold of them let alone where either of them lived. And while the elder might have picked up some things, the other had only been tiny when everything had happened. He'd have no memories of it. That left Kazuo Tengan.

Kazuo Tengan.

Tengan had been old money, the only child of only children. But he'd only married once, and hadn't had any children by the time his wife had died of cancer. From there, he'd spent all his time involved in major philanthropic projects, including Hope's Peak, and supporting the many ventures of the just-as-old-monied Oomori family. He'd died about ten years after Moeka had, and from the looks of things, his house had not been passed on to anyone, and had not been sold. As far as the information told me, that hadn't changed. For all intents and purposes, the house was little more than an empty shell these days.

It was a long shot, that anything would even be there. Even if the house wasn't currently occupied, no doubt somebody would have been hired to clear things out. But the house was in Towa City. And it had belonged to Kazuo Tengan. That man, who'd insisted on being involved, who had dismissed all concerns, who had only cared about his party. Who had dissuaded Moeka and her friends from making complaints and yet had made them fill forms.

If they were anywhere, they'd be there, right? Right?

I looked down at the papers for a long moment, then closed my eyes. It was a big risk. If I got myself arrested for real, then it would be all for nothing.

"_It's okay Dad, really. I know it's your job to worry because you are Dad, so I can't and won't stop you. But everything's going to be great! I'll be back with souvenirs for you and for Mum-and watch, they'll be the _cheesiest_ souvenirs known to man."_

_I blinked for a moment, distracted from my worry._

"_Um…..what am I meant to do with a cheesy souvenir?"_

_Instantly, Moeka burst out into peals of laughter. _

"_Put it on your desk at work? I dunno. You'll figure it out. Anyway, I've got to go, more packing to do! Byeeeee!"_

_The video call ended, and I sat at the computer for a moment before shaking my head and getting up. _

But such things were niggles, really. Because in the end, if there was a chance I had to take it. Otherwise, I'd just be the same as I was before-not doing anything, not doing enough. And I couldn't fail her again.

**…**

The house was in a quiet area of town. Wealthy, neat, very much a mind-your-own business sort of neighbourhood. Not that meant nosy retirees weren't peering through those covert net curtains or those screen doors. With that in mind, I had a face mask on, and I had a jacket and gloves ready in my bag. I pretended to walk casually past the front of the house, with its completely paved over garden and air of desolation, the shutters on the windows closed. Then, looking around, I took a dive for it and headed down the alley and contemplated the fencing around the back garden. It didn't seem particularly strong, and it wasn't very high either. But the thought of climbing it was daunting.

_Dammit. _

I looked around, and almost as if it was meant to be, I spotted a broken deckchair chucked carelessly on the side. Even as I clicked my tongue in irritation over it being there in the first place, I knew an opportunity when I saw one and so I strode over, dragged it back to the fence with some difficulty and then stood on it and heaved and groaned as I pulled myself over and landed in the garden in a messy heap.

Wasting no time, I got up and looked for any signs of life in the house, or any kind of security system in the garden. Knowing that Tengan, he probably would have fitted up his back garden to the gills, but I saw nothing that indicated that, and the windows facing the back garden could be seen through and there seemed to be nothing in there at all. Only generic furniture, Western-style. Wincing as I headed towards said door, I rubbed the side of my leg ineffectually and coughed more than a few times as I tried to settle my breath. All the while, I kept looking around, expecting that someone-a neighbour, anyone-would have noticed a disturbance by now. But nobody came at all.

The door was a traditional screen door, and opened with no problems, and I stepped through it, finding myself in the kitchen. This was Western style, sleek and shiny in the style of the early 2020s…but there was nothing in here. Everything was clean, but devoid of any sign of being lived in. _Kitchen is a waste of time anyway, the most obvious place would be somewhere like a study or a bedroom. _So I didn't bother looking in any of the cupboards, and just went onwards, taking a quick peek into the living room out of curiosity, the alcove which would have been a family shrine, and then a spare room which was devoid of everything apart from a filing cabinet.

_Wait. A filing cabinet. _

I stopped abruptly at the base of the stairs, and turned on my heel and marched right back to that spare room. I made a beeline for the filing cabinet and yanked at the drawers, expecting them to open easily. But they didn't. No matter how much I rattled, it became clear that this cabinet was locked. My heartbeat quickened, and I patted down my pockets, and then looked in my bag before finding a paperclip. I straightened it out and then rattled it around in the lock, trying to remember long ago attempts at small talk in the work place where the conversation of how to pick a lock with a safety pin came up. I heard it give, and then with satisfaction I yanked the first drawer open and pulled out a series of envelopes. The other three drawers also had envelopes, and I yanked all of those out too. Some had letter codes that didn't have a discernible meaning, but a number had dates. Or rather, year periods. 2008-2010, 2006-2008, 2016-2019, and so on and so forth.

I decided to start with the recent one, and ripped the envelope open. I pulled out a sheet, and my eyes instantly went to the top of the sheet:

_STUDENT COMPLAINT FORM_

Flicking through the pile quickly, I realised all of them were indeed forms of this nature, and I returned to the first one, apparently submitted in the autumn of 2016. I read that, and then the next, and then the next, and a horrible picture started to form.

…_following me…_

…_wouldn't leave me alone…_

_..took photos without my consent…_

…_keeps sending me gifts that I don't want…outside my dorm room…_

…_messages…._

…_I feel unsafe…._

Most of the names of those who had apparently written these complaints were not ones I recognised straight away, a few only making faint pings in my mind as being Hope's Peak students but nothing more detailed than that. However, it wasn't a stretch to assume all the names were Hope's Peak students, a fact that would be easy enough to cross-check. All the information had been filled in by hand, but someone had used tippex to censor names and other things that I assumed would identify the culprits in each situation. There was a section at the bottom of each form which looked like it was meant to be filled in by a member of staff, detailing the responses taken, but each and every one was blank.

Then I saw Moeka's name, and I had to pause, going back a few, and then flicking through again more slowly. The contents seemed mostly to deal with the sense of being followed, and of a man hanging around a lot.

_Complainants: Moeka Kamiya, Sayuri Fujimoto, Seiko Yamamoto, Akari Kishinami._

_Complainants: Kimiko Tsukuda, Moeka Kamiya_

_Complainants: Azami Kishinami, Akari Kishinami, Seiko Yamamoto, Osamu Aozaki_

_Complainants: Katsuya Komiya, Moeka Kamiya_

_Complainants: Fumiaki Amai, Seiko Yamamoto_

_Complainants: Sarah Mai Hashiri_

_Complainants: Moeka Kamiya, on behalf of 78-B_

My hands shook, and my vision filled with red as I saw my daughter's name, her friends names, appearing over, and over and over again, youthful handwriting sharing recollections of things that they had seen as threatening, trusting fully that whoever they were writing it for would sort it out…and then nothing. Details censored so perpetrators couldn't be identified, and then shoved in a folder, and forgotten.

Ignored. Pushed aside. And for what?

_I held the phone to my ear, waiting and waiting. I sent a prayer up to the heavens as the ringing continued, tried to imagine what song Moeka would have set her ringtone to and failing because why would I know anything about what music kids were into these days? But I tried to imagine it, imagine Moeka exclaiming and digging through her messenger bag and announcing to her friends that it was 'just Dad' and then answering me breezily. _

_But the ringing kept on, and then suddenly, it cut off. My daughter's voice replaced it, but it wasn't a breezy 'Heyyyyyyyyy' or 'Oh Dad, hi.' Instead, it was her voicemail message, apologising for not picking up and urging the caller to leave a message. I sighed and hung up, and then met my wife's eyes from across the kitchen table. _

"_Nothing?" she asked. _

_I didn't know why she asked-wasn't it obvious. I huffed, and nodded, and then averted my eyes as she sighed and put her head in her hands, trying to stem back tears. I should have been able to reach across the table, take strength in our common ground as Moeka's parents. But I couldn't. I just couldn't. _

_I just hoped I wouldn't regret it later. _

I blinked, realising that my throat felt all blocked up. I took in a few breaths, coughing as I did so, and I stared at the sheets. These, I knew, were proof. That at the very least that Hope's Peak had seen danger and had chosen to ignore it. I quickly stuffed these ones back in the envelope they had come in, and put it in my bag, and considered opening another of the dated envelopes and maybe one of the other ones to see what was in there, when I heard the unmistakeable sound of the door opening.

_Dammit. _

I quickly grabbed as many envelopes as I could and then stuffed them into my bag along with the recent one, and then I turned tail and swiftly headed out of the room and back through the kitchen, relying on the fact the room wasn't one could be seen from the front door immediately to give me an advantage. But naturally, that advantage lasted only a few seconds as I soon heard someone calling out.

"Hey, what are you doing here? HEY!"

I increased my speed, as much as I could, bolting to the garden and back to the fence. There was nothing handy for me to use to heave myself over, so there was nothing for it to try and use my own strength to hoist myself over the fence, and as I heard footsteps getting closer to the garden, I tumbled over, landing on the deckchair. I didn't give myself time to feel the pain, I instead just got straight up and rushed back down the alleyway, down the quiet street and the rest of the way I came until I reached somewhere busier and slowed down, ever so slightly, looking around me.

I hadn't stopped to see who the person in the house was, but they'd sounded like a young male, possibly in their twenties, so I looked out for someone like that in hot pursuit. But….nothing. I didn't drop my guard the entire way back. But all the same, nothing happened.

The moment I got back in though, I took my phone out, and dialled Otsuka. She would be better placed to work out what to do with this.

And I suspected it'd be better in the long run if I didn't have these in my hands any longer.

**…**

I leapt up as soon as I heard the knock on the door, but I made a point of grabbing a stick and having it by my side, just in case. But I abandoned it as soon as I saw it was Otsuka, and only Otsuka.

"Looks like it's a good thing I don't have a guest until tomorrow." Otsuka said offhandedly. "Anyway, what did you get?"

I had no idea what she meant by that first bit, and quite frankly I didn't care, so I just grabbed the carrier bag that I had put the envelopes into and stashed by the door rack and handed it to her.

"And you have taken photographs, like I told you to?" she asked briskly as she opened the envelope and riffled through the contents without taking them out.

"Yes."

I raised an eyebrow at her imperious tone, but I decided to let it go. Mostly because I was too tired, and my leg still hurt from scaling a wall and running away as though I was some sort of delinquent teenager. As though they weren't the wrong ones for doing what they did. Or rather, for not doing what they didn't do.

"And you're sure they didn't see you?"

"They might have…" I said, thinking. "But I was wearing a face mask."

Otsuka nodded.

"Okay. Right, well. Don't stretch yourself, okay? Thanks for this. I'll make sure it doesn't get back to you."

"Right, yeah. Do you…do you think you've found out something."

"Not yet, but I'm well on my way to it."

Otsuka considered me for a moment, and then nodded.

"See you later."

I nodded at her, and then closed the door. Almost as soon as I did, my shoulders sagged and I yawned. The sun was still so bright, and though that was hardly a surprise considering the time of year, it still felt incongruous. It felt as if it should be dark now. _Oh well, the darkness will come soon enough, won't it?_Tiredly, I walked back to the living room and the mess I had left behind, and it occurred to me that maybe I should tell Kenichi.

It took me a moment to remember where I had left my phone-in my pocket-but when I found it, I realised that I had a voicemail from him. _Huh. I didn't even notice my phone going off…._the time the message had been left wasn't the time I had actually been in the house or the vicinity of it, so that was something at least. Standing where I was, I listened to the message, then played it again, and again.

Then, I called him back.

**…**

_Mitsuhide_

With my bag packed carefully, with all my best everyday outfits and one formal one, and all the other little things I usually took for short stays, I looked around my room and then checked my reflection in the mirror again before nodding at myself and heading out. I walked past my little sister's room, and heard her practising lines, so I decided to not to disturb her. Not that she'd be particularly perturbed by my absence anyway.

I wasn't sure where my parents and grandparents were, but I knew my other brothers were out and the staff were around the house here and there, no doubt busy with whatever tasks they usually did. So I didn't bother to look in any rooms and instead headed straight to the doorway, stopping to put on my shoes.

"Leaving without telling us?"

I looked up to see my grandfather peering around the door of the downstairs study and I blinked, surprised.

"Why hello there Grandfather, I didn't see you."

"Where are you off to then? Another recording?"

"I am spending some time establishing connections with some of my classmates-to-be."

"Ah, excellent, excellent!" My grandfather grinned. "Yoriyoshi, come, say goodbye to your son, an SHSL no less."

"He is not one yet."

My good mood deflated as my father also looked around the doorway, choosing to step out fully so that he could regard me with his full usual disapproval.

"Ah, well, you know how it was in the old days," my grandfather said genially. "The title was a guarantee, and I don't imagine that's changed now."

I could see my father was loath to admit this, but he could hardly go against his own father so he simply nodded stiffly, and adjusted the lapels of his own suit.

"That is true. And I have seen on the internet you have made the acquaintance of a true prodigy, which is an acceptable start. She might have an….ordinary background, but that girl is the epitome of true Talent, and none of you can ever measure up to her."

_Well, of course not. She can do anything, even my own Talent. But that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. _My father regarded me, and then nodded.

"I trust you have entered the details of your trip on the family calendar?"

"I have."

"Very well then," he said. "Go, and make sure you do not bring down the Okita family name. You may have been the member of the family to gain such an esteemed title, but you still have a lot of catching up to do with them."

"I understand."

"Ah now, I am sure he will." My grandfather said companiably.

But it was little consolation, really. What else could I say? I concentrated on making sure the laces of my shoes were tied perfectly, and that no scuffs could be seen upon the shoes' surface and then I stood up and inclined my head at them before turning to open the door and step out.

_It's not like it matters anyway. By the time this is over, I will have surpassed all their expectations. All of them. _

"Oh, Mitsuhide?"

I had to fight to conceal my flinch, and I turned around, wondering what new disapproval my father wanted to convey. But his face seemed neutral as he stood there now on his own (I wasn't sure where my grandfather had gone) and he studied me carefully for a long time.

"Stay safe, alright?"

I nodded quickly.

"Of course I will, I am not one of the mindless masses after all-I have an aesthetic and reputation to maintain. "

Approval flitted over his features, and he nodded once before turning away. I took that as my cue to completely leave, and I did so with relief.

**…**

When Rieka opened the door, she was wearing an apron over her clothes, and she looked me up and down in undisguised disapproval.

"You do realise that this is the evening, and we aren't some hoity-toity rich family?"

"Yes, well, I have standards. Are you going to let me in?"

Rieka huffed and puffed and then stepped aside so I could come in.

"Oh, is he here?" I heard Rieka's mother, Miya, call out.

"Yes Ma'am, I am."

"Oh, excellent. Put away your things, and then you can come join us in the kitchen, okay? I'm just making dinner."

"Makin-"

_WHAAAAAAAT? _

"Sure thing, Miya-san!" I called out cheerily.

"I then turned my attention to Rieka who was locking the door.

"You're expecting me to do menial work in _this outfit_?" I asked, utterly aghast.

"Do you not have anything more casual?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "You can just change."

I stared at her. More _casual?_ What sort of phistiline did she think I was? She stared back at me, and then groaned and face-palmed.

"Of course your suitcase is just filled with fancy shit."

"Riri-nee-chan, why not let him borrow Nii-chan's clothes?"

I startled at the sound of a small child's voice, and looked over to see a small boy standing on the stairs, looking at us curiously. It didn't take me long to work out who this must be, and I quickly smiled at him.

"And you must be Nicholas-kun, I'm charmed to meet you. I hear you are a fan of my audiobooks?"

"People call me Nicky." The boy said shyly, blushing as he headed down the stairs.

"Ah, my mistake, Nicky-kun, it's very nice to meet you, I must say. I do enjoy meeting young fans."

I held out my hand, and Nicky looked at it tentatively before reaching out so I could give him a handshake. He smiled briefly, then looked over at Rieka, who looked like she was about to explode at the interaction. When Nicky looked over tentatively though, she instantly did her best to look calmer, even smiling in a friendly manner.

"What do you mean, borrowing Nii-chan's clothes?" she asked curiously.

"It's Nii-chan's room he's staying in, right, and some of his old clothes are still there aren't they? He won't need them anymore. So Okita-san can borrow them and then he won't have to mess up his fancy clothes."

I didn't think Rieka would want to give me anything from any of her family members, but she appeared to think about this very carefully before sighing and nodding.

"Personally, Nicky, I think Okita-kun could do with learning to live with a little mess, but you know what, that's a good idea. I'm sure Nii-chan won't mind at all."

Rieka reached out to ruffle Nicky's hair, and he blushed and squirmed happily.

"Go and help Mum, I'll be down once I've shown him around, and then he'll be down soon after. Right?"

As Nicky obediently ran off, Rieka glared daggers at me, and I realised that I wasn't going to get away with not doing anything in the kitchen. So I sighed deeply and then nodded. Grinning in satisfaction, Rieka bounded up the stairs.

"Follow me," she called over her shoulder. "I'll show you where everything is, though you know my room and the bathroom."

Sure enough, she pointed where everything else was, pointing out her brother's room, parents' room and the room of an older sister that also functioned as a spare room since she was also away from home-all of which were off limits. Which was of course fine by me, so I wasn't sure why this warning had been accompanied with such a glare. In any case, the room that I was to be staying in just so happened to be right next to Rieka's.

Most of the things that would have marked it out as a particular person's room had been taken down, no doubt contained within a pile of neatly stacked boxes that were next to the light-brown wardrobe. The walls were a nice dark blue, that complemented the grey carpet and the light blue and white bedding. The curtains were also dark blue, though a different shade to the walls, and the bedside table, desk and the chest of drawers had clearly been part of a set with the wardrobe. There were a few baseball posters on the walls, which weren't to my taste, and of course the room was incredibly simple and not at all like my bedroom where everything was the finest it could be, designer or at the very least high-end. Yet, there was something about it. I wasn't sure what it was, but where any other room like this I'd have turned my nose up at, this one gave me pause.

"Right, well, the clothes are in those drawers, but don't worry, the top one is empty and that and the wardrobe should be enough space for you. You'll find your way down to the kitchen, right? Or are you liable to get lost?"

This was said with a sneer, and I glared at her. I could fit this house into mine about three times, and I certainly didn't get lost there! Rieka just smiled and nodded, choosing that time to flounce off. I stared as she disappeared, then sighed and rubbed my face tiredly. I went over to the drawers and opened a few at random, looking for something that I could still at least look good in, eventually finding some nice charcoal-grey slacks and a soft shirt in a much lighter shade of grey. I then quickly changed, making sure everything was neatly hung up, and then with some reluctance took off my jewellery (save for my ear studs, which I really didn't think would impede kitchen work) before heading down.

In the kitchen, I discovered that Rieka's father, Ronan, was there working alongside Miya and Nicky. He quickly appraised me, looking me up and down the same way my parents did…yet at the same time, the intent felt different. I wasn't sure how, until he grinned and indicated to Miya, who quickly bustled over and had me chopping vegetables of some sort. And as we did, we chatted. Miya and Ronan asked me a lot of questions about what I did with my life, and what my family were like. But when I gave them the answers, instead of getting judgement or anything like that, all they seemed to show was interest, and some excitement.

"So, audiobooks? Have to say if I didn't know who you were already, that would have surprised me. I'd imagine you following in your parents and grandfather's footsteps." Ronan said at one point as plates were arranged.

Of course, I had been asked this many times before, but I had an answer ready.

"Contrary to what you might believe, I really do enjoy reading. I know that the general consensus is that I hate my work and that I could be doing better things, like being an actor in TV or movies. But the truth is, flattering as that life is, I much prefer a more quieter occupation."

"Ah, I see, that's fair enough," Ronan replied with a grin. "We're all different, and that's what makes the world more interesting."

"Though it does seem like the audiobook world has some drama in it too, right? That must be hard to deal with." Miya said, looking over sympathetically.

"Ah, he's a big boy, he can deal." Rieka said cheekily.

"Well, when it comes to the spat the two of you had, I suppose there's a point-I don't appreciate you having dismissed my daughter's efforts, just because she had a different opinion of books you yourself liked, but she didn't behave so well in that either…"

Miya looked stern, but there was gentleness in her eyes. She reminded me of the stereotypical daycare worker type, and I remembered Rieka mentioning that she worked with children in some capacity.

"MUUUUM!" Rieka turned from the frying pan she was attending and stared. "You're supposed to be on my side."

I snickered at this-I couldn't help myself-and Rieka momentarily glared at me. Over her head, I noticed Ronan and Miya exchange a look, and then they chuckled.

"We are, honey, but the entire situation could have been handled better, couldn't it?" Ronan asked with gentle chiding.

"It's okay anyway, right?" Nicky piped up. "You're friends now, right?"

Once again, Rieka looked like she might burst, but then she looked at her parents, who regarded her with a look that was slightly disapproving, but still so warm it seemed to amplify the heat of the cooking going on. She then sighed and ruffled Nicky's hair.

"Yeah, I suppose."

Of course, I was under no illusions she meant that, but in truth I was more captivated to see her gentleness with her little brother, and how easily she chatted with her parents as momentarily the topic conversation diverged away from me. Normally, I'd be itching to try and get it back, but I decided to watch and observe. Saw how easy and comfortable they all were with each other, and how although it was Rieka with her brashness who took the center stage, Nicky wasn't overlooked, and neither tried to one-up the other. Indeed, Rieka was so solicitous of him, and their parents so warm towards the both of them.

It was really only the type of thing I had come across in the books I read.

I couldn't imagine laughing with my older brothers like that-maybe Keiki, sometimes, but even then that was a stretch. I couldn't imagine ruffling my little sister's hair or patting her shoulder or helping her with anything. I couldn't imagine happily cooking with my parents, though in all fairness we had staff to do that kind of thing anyway.

"Oh, yeah," Miya turned to me. "I forgot, I'm so sorry!"

I blinked.

"What?"

"Oh, no, just that you said it's a quiet life, yet I am sure you must have your share of slightly um…obsessive fans, and hateful comments. I know that kind of thing can be stressful."

For a long time, I just couldn't compute what she had said. I was far too used to sentiments along the line of _Maybe then you're just not up to it _and _Seiichi is able to cope with his fans _and _Attention means you are succeeding. _What did I do with comments like this, that were so instinctively concerned? Could I even believe them?

_Hardly a surprise that you relate so well with Benbow-kun, even if his mother is a whole new level of horrible in comparison to Mother and Father. _With effort, I shook the thought away. They might have been nice, but I was sure it couldn't last. After all, I was famous, I had a name to uphold, I was sure they'd expect better of me anyway. So I gave my best smile, fixed my hair and airily declared:

"Oh, it is all part of the job, I manage it well enough. Besides, the supportive fans make it all worth it."

Miya nodded thoughtfully at this and then said:.

"I hope that you have someone to help you though, if it gets too much."

"Ah, no need to worry, my agent is incredibly capable. I am too, naturally. But really, Miya-san, though I am flattered at your concern it is wholly unnecessary."

Rieka snorted at this, but was then directed by Miya to take plates and bowls over to the table with Ronan, while the three of us cleared up the worst, and then went to sit down. And as we gave thanks for the food, and started to eat, I started to think that even if Rieka was supposed to be my worst enemy, that this stay might just turn out alright after all.


	29. In The Quiet of the Dark

_Mai_

As I shut the door behind Akio, I had to stop myself from crumpling right there into a sobbing heap. When he'd come back to pack, I'd tried so hard to keep a positive face on things, to pretend that I was alright. But he'd noticed, Akio had. He was like Juro in that way, protectively thoughtful and perceptive. And oh, oh so curious too. He had only asked a few questions-_did they stay long? What are they like? Did you have fun?_-but in his eyes I could see more. So many more, that I'd never wanted to be questions in the first place. No doubt being whetted by the friends he made, that journalist as well. She was so young, but she reminded me so much of all the others, back then.

_Cameras flashing, arms around me and a cloth pulled over my head, the way they did with celebrities or other people in those scandalous cases, where they didn't want the faces of the people involved splashed over the papers. _

"_Quickly, inside, inside."_

_The words were barely audible over the cacophony of questions but I scrambled in, curling up on the seat so that I was below the window. I didn't dare look up, knowing that there would be people trying to tap against the window, trying to get my attention. _

_I still didn't look up, even when I felt the car whirr into life and start to pull away. _

I hadn't heard anything from them, either, after Juro had come to take Eizo and Azami away. Nobody seemed to know why, and Juro wasn't answering his phone. He was working, that shouldn't have been surprising, but all the same. _What happened? Why the two of them? _Had something happened with their trackers? Or maybe it was something to do with New Hope's Peak-but why Azami, then?

Slowly, slowly, I unpeeled my fingers from the door handle and took a deep breath. Even standing here, the house felt so empty, especially knowing that both my children were away and that Juro would more than likely be late. _Oh, I hope he'll call soon_. Taking another deep breath, I steeled my shoulders, and walked into the kitchen. With a pang, I realised I hadn't given Akio anything to take with him, the way I usually would if he was going somewhere.

_I should have thought of that…..I should have…._

I fixed up a plate of the leftovers that I had, even after I'd given the rest to the others-_I thought of them, but not of Akio? How could I?_-and shoved it in the fridge for Juro when he got home, whenever that would be. I idly considered writing a note, but I couldn't imagine myself being able to sleep until he got home. Already, the quiet felt so oppressive. I wanted Sachi to be here, prattling on and on about everything and nothing and trying to 'help' me make dinner. I wanted Akio upstairs, doing homework and then later coming down to join us, joining the chat occasionally and then helping to wash up afterwards. I wanted Juro to come home after a long day, and then, after the kids had gone to bed, to sit quietly with him while we had our own dinners and maybe watch something before going to bed together. I wanted the past where it belonged-far, far away from my family.

And now, only Sachi was oblivious to it all, and I could see it everywhere, everywhere. Even in the cupboard, where the plates I was looking for were.

"_Oh, come on, it's not the end of the world if we're late for one day! It's not like any one is here to tell us off for waking up at god knows what time."_

_Ayuna threw her hands up in utter frustration, pulling a face. I watched nervously, my arms around Azami. _

"_Yes, but the more we decide to not try and act civilised, the easier it makes it for things to completely disintegrate!" Eikichi responded. _

"_You say that, but now we're at only seven. " Takaaki pointed out. "I think we're past that point."_

"_Yes, and I'd rather that we didn't end up going down to five!" Eikichi almost growled. "Do none of you want to survive?"_

_Ayuna's mouth dropped open, and even Friede looked shocked at that. _

"_Woah, woah, that's not called for!" Eizo jumped in. "Hanamura, that's unfair! We can't all be super composed and together like you, but we are all trying-after all, we did all come here, didn't we? To eat together, that is, if Sadie and Heiwa are still happy with it?"_

"_Oh yeah, we're fine with it!" I said quickly. _

"_Yeah, we're fine…" Friede added. _

_We exchanged a look as we said this, and then I gave her a wavering smile before turning to look back at the others. Ayuna was still glaring at Eikichi. _

"_Of all the….you woke up late, too! It's a bit hypocritical for you to get mad at all of us when it's you, too. In any case, I'm going to walk around, cool my head-and hey, you never know, I might actually find something to help us."_

"_Aozaki-"_

_Eikichi barely managed to speak before Ayuna swiftly turned on her heel and left. I watched him stare after her, fists clenching slightly before he relaxed them and turned to me. _

"_There's no point in making breakfast at this time, so if you could make whatever you were planning to make lunch today, that would be good."_

"_Sure," I said. "Could one of you take Azami-Chan?"_

"_We'll manage." Eikichi replied simply. _

"_Yeah, yeah." Eizo said. "Go forth and cook!"_

_I giggled obligingly, then unwrapped my arms from around Azami. _

"_Hey, Azami-chan, we're going to make lunch, okay? You'll stay with the boys today, is that alright?"_

_I watched her face carefully, hoping and hoping for a response, but none was forthcoming. She just stared, blankly. After a moment, I gave up and gently steered her over to Eikichi, Eizo and Takaaki, and then Friede and I went into the kitchen._

"_We can't do this anymore." Friede said almost instantly. _

_I didn't respond initially, as I had launched straight into getting all the ingredients out, but gradually I had to turn and I looked at her. _

"_We can't, can we?"_

_Friede met my eyes, but didn't say anything. Instead, she pointed to the cupboard containing the granola that we barely touched. Of course, it was not granola she was referring to. I flinched. _

"_Free…"_

"_It's just going to get worse, isn't it?"_

"_I know, but…"_

_We looked at each other for the longest time, frozen. Friede was the first to give in, sighing and lowering her head. _

"_I don't want to, either."_

"_I know, I know…"_

_I looked nervously over at the kitchen door, then I decisively gathered the first set of things I needed and began preparations. _

"_How about tomorrow?" I asked, trying not to tremble, not looking over. _

"_Tomorrow, then." _

I rapidly shut the cupboard, and left the kitchen despite being hungry. I went straight upstairs, and picked up my mobile phone. My first instinct was to call Juro, so I did so, but once again it went to voicemail. I'd already left messages, so rather than leave another, I hung up. I stared at the phone for a long time, close to tears, unsure of what to do. The image of Akio at the door with the other kids flashed in my head, followed by one of him leaving after he'd collected his things to stay with his schoolfriend, all wary and wide-eyed. As if he was scared. Of me? I didn't know. But I'd messed up. I hadn't even made sure to feed him. I had to apologise for that, at least, and check he was okay.

I dialled Akio, and held the phone to my ear, and waited. It kicked straight into voicemail, but this time I decided to leave a message.

"Hey, Akio, it's Mum. I just wanted to check that….that you're okay. I didn't mean….I didn't mean to scare you, I just…I just…I just didn't want…."

Before I knew it, I was crying properly. Aghast, I scrambled to try and hang up, but my hands were shaking and it took a while for me to manage to, and then as soon as I managed that, I turned it off and shoved it in my bedside drawer, and then curling up on my bed, sobbing.

I wasn't sure how much time went by when finally, I felt like I could breathe again, but gradually I sat up, and wiped away the tears. I didn't feel any better though-I knew that I had made everything so, so much more worse. I wasn't sure how to fix it.

_I'm not going to be able to, am I? Oh, if only things could have stayed as they were. _

Aware of the rumbling in my stomach, I decided to get up and try, once again, to fix myself something to eat. But I knew that no matter what I did, nothing was going to feel right, ever again.

**…**

_Akio_

I tapped my pen against the page, frowning at my answer. I looked up at my schoolfriend Sawayama, who was sitting at his desk.

"Hey, did you get 7 for your answer?" I asked.

"No….." he said. "I got 0.23."

"Oh."

"Let's go through it again-you tell me what you did, then I'll tell you what I did."

So I went through the steps for the question, and then he did the same, but by the end of it neither of us were any wiser as to which answer was the actual correct answer. We flicked through the textbook looking for examples, tried again and in the end we just gave up and went to look up the answer for the question online.

As it turned out, both of us were wrong.

"Man," Sawayama said. "We did most of the rest of it anyway, I say we give up for tonight. We managed to get most of the summer homework done anyway."

"Yeah…."

I tidied up my schoolwork and shoved it into my bag, and Sawayama came to sit on the floor with me. I picked up my phone and noticed I had a voicemail message from my mother.

"Hey, so, tell me-"

"Hold on a moment, Sawayama-kun," I said. "Let me just listen to this."

I held the phone to my ear and listened quietly to the call, my heart sinking. _Should I try to call back? Or…._I decided to, but almost straight away it went straight to voicemail, and so I hung up, staring at my phone. If I could have remained ignorant, it would have been better, but I couldn't go back in time. I couldn't un-know what I knew. And now I did, and after today, how could I decide I didn't want to know more? How could I not at least try to find out something, anything that would help Dad and the police find out the truth? Wouldn't that help Mum more? The truth could be found, the culprit bought to justice, and then we could go home, then finally she'd get closure.

I tapped the screen absently, and then I went to messages, and sent Mum a quick message telling her that I was fine, and not to worry, and then I put my phone down.

"Sorry about that."

"So, was that one of your new buddies?" Sawayama asked.

"No, it was my Mum."

"Oh. " Sawayama shrugged. "I'm surprised she has the time to check on you, she must be freaking out about the investigation, right?"

"Yeah, I guess?"

"I mean, if she hasn't said anything all those years there's got to be a real big reason, right?"

I looked over at Sawayama.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Have you actually looked at all the conspiracies that are around? There's a lot out there, and it's wild man, really wild! I mean, they're conspiracies, but still some of them have a point-if your mum was so innocent why wouldn't she have said anything."

"That's-"

"Did she ever say anything to you about anything, at all? Did you ever meet them?"

"What? No, I already said, I had no idea about any of this at all until the investigation re-opened."

"Oh, come on, we're friends, you can tell me." Sawayama wheedled.

"I mean…I don't really want to talk about it."

"But you talked to those new friends, right?" he asked. "That girl, the booktuber one, she's solving the mystery right? Or at least, she's claiming she wants to. So why can you talk to her but not me?"

"Sawayama-kun, please, just leave it for now, okay?" I said.

"Come on, you have to admit I have a point-besides, this is thrilling! My parents are boring as crap, you've met them, nothing like this would ever happen to me. Can you blame me for wanting to know more?"

"Sawayama-kun, I've been talking about it a lot." I said, tiredly. "And I'll be talking a lot more about it tomorrow. Can't we just…talk about something else?"

Sawayama pouted at that.

"Hey, come on, I let you stay here, right? So come on, give me something at least."

It took me a moment or so to process those words. Sawayama waited expectantly, as if I would cave and tell him all the gory details. But I had confided. I'd told him a little about the people I'd met, I told him that all of this was new, and a little scary. And how many times had I said that all of this was stuff I'd never known until a few days ago? I looked around to see what things were where, and then I got up.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

I'd left my pyjamas in a neat pile on top of the futon I was supposed to be using, so I gathered those up, and put them in my bag, and then I put the few other things I'd taken out in, put my phone in my jeans pocket and stood up.

"Thanks for having me, but I'll go now."

"Wait, wha-"

"it's fine, I'll see myself out."

"Woah, wait, Arisato-kun-"

I ignored Sawayama and left his room, going downstairs and opening the door, then stepping out of the house and heading down the street. I didn't have any destination in mind, so I just kept walking and walking. I knew this area well, from visiting Sawayama and other friends who lived here on other occasions. So I didn't particularly pay attention to my surroundings beyond making sure I wasn't in danger. I just kept walking and walking, trying to walk off the feelings Sawayama's words had made me feel. As if he was _entitled _to know things that even I didn't know. Maybe, in other circumstances, I would have been more open with him, or even my other schoolfriends, but for now I couldn't. It wasn't fair of him to ask so much. So I kept going, and going.

_And….where, exactly, _am_ I going?_

The question hit me, and I slowed down as I reached a street full of shops, stopping by a small café. I couldn't wander around all night, I couldn't go home, and I definitely wasn't going to go back. _A hotel….but that won't work, in the long term, what about the money….?_ I sighed and leaned against the wall, taking out my phone. There were other friends I could ask, but what if they thought and felt the same way as Sawayama? As I pondered this, a text flashed up in the notifications bar.

_Sawayama: Oh, you think you're too good for me-_

I marked it as read without looking at the actual message-I couldn't deal with this. I needed someone who understood, which really only left _them_. And out of all of them, there was one person who understood me better than the others. So, I scrolled through my contacts, found their number, and made the phone call.

**…**

I followed Akagi's directions carefully, finding the bus stop that particular bus went to, and then waiting a few more minutes for one to arrive. I got on, and sat near the front, not putting on any music to listen to as the stop I was getting off at was in an unfamiliar area, and I didn't want to miss it. Instead, I looked out of the window, watching the world go by.

By the time I reached it and got off the bus, it was completely dark out and I started to regret my impulse decision, more so when I saw Akagi standing at the bus stop with his white stick, calm as anything. I walked up to him.

"Benbow-kun? It's me, Akio."

"Arisato-kun." Akagi nodded. "I hope it wasn't too hard to find your way here."

"No, it was fine, but sorry to make you come out when it was so late…"

"Ah, it is not so late. Besides, my uncle is interested to meet my new friends, and he's particularly interested in you."

"Why me?" I asked.

"Our mothers were particularly close friends, I believe."

"Ah."

We walked the rest of the way in silence. Even before Akagi opened the gate I could tell which house on the relevant road was his, because his uncle was waiting in the doorway-and it was pretty clear to me, despite this being the first time that I met him, that Akagi and this man were related. They didn't look so much like each other-the uncle was blond and blue eyed like Friede. But all the same, there was a resemblance.

"Ah!" the uncle exclaimed. "You must be Akio-kun, it's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Taiki Benbow, Akagi's uncle."

"I'm Akio Arisato, um…..sorry for the imposition, I know you wanted a few days extra notice."

"No, no, it's fine…" Taiki said with a laugh. "Few days is ideal, really, but I can be accommodating. I suspect that my nephew was simply trying to be considerate of me. Now, come in, come in. Are you hungry? I gather you walked a while."

"Ah, I did have dinner…" I started, thinking.

I would need to text my friend to apologise, and thank him for having put me up for the short time that he had. Even if he had been a clod, it was a bit rude of me to have just walked out.

Taiki nodded knowingly.

"Alright, why don't you clean up, and then we can have some ice-cream and a chat?"

I considered and then nodded politely.

"Yeah, that sounds nice."

Taiki stepped aside to let me in, and then closed the door while I took my shoes off, and then he went into what I presumed was the kitchen while Akagi took me up to his room.

"I hope a futon will be alright for you-I can take it instead if you want." He said apologetically.

"Oh, it's fine, really! I was using a futon at my schoolfriend's house anyway!"

"I've cleared a space in my cupboard for your things, too….I hope it's alright if you leave your bags inside there, or on top of the chest of drawers, rather than on the floor. Even if it's on the side it can be a bit…."

"Sure, sure. It's not a problem."

"Oh."

I looked over at Akagi, who seemed a little startled, unsure of what to do with himself. I recalled the words his mother had said to him, and wondered if she'd been like that all his life. I couldn't imagine it-Mum had always been good to me and to Sachi, she'd never dream of even thinking such unkind things, even when we were being particularly difficult.

Akagi sighed and went to sit on his bed, taking out his phone to listen to music, and I quickly got myself sorted out and put my things away. Then I indicated to him that I was ready, and he led me to the kitchen, where Taiki was just scooping out ice cream into three bowls.

"Oh, what flavour is that?"

"Vanilla and caramel-it's Akagis' favourite!"

"Oh, really? " I considered. "I've never had that flavour before."

"Haven't you?" Akagi asked in surprise. "For real?"

"For real." I confirmed. "But I like both things separately, so I'm sure it'll be good."

"Never tried it before. Huh."

Akagi shook his head in such utter disbelief that I had to laugh, and after a moment, Akagi laughed too. We sat down and began to eat, and I was pleasantly surprised.

"This is good."

"It is, isn't it?" Akagi said. "You've been missing out."

"I have, I have!" I agreed.

We debated ice-cream flavours for a little while, Taiki watching us in amusement for a while, shaking his head.

"Well, it's a good thing to see the two of you having so much fun, I think this will be good for Akagi."

"Uncle…."

"Ah, it's fine."

"Although, have you told your parents that you'll be here instead of at your friends? And what about their parents?"

"Ah, my friend actually lives alone for high school, so that one's not a problem. As for my parents…I'll send my dad a message later, and he can pass it on to Mum."

"Ah, right. Yes, Akagi mentioned that you had a….slightly unfortunate run-in. "

I pulled a face at that-it was certainly one way of putting what had happened earlier today. Akagi looked guilty, and I reached over to tap him.

"It's okay." I said, not sure what else to say.

"Yes, it is," Taiki agreed. "I'm going to have to talk with my sister, perhaps when the two of you are out tomorrow. Something needs to change, especially now that the past is coming back up."

"Mhm." Akagi mumbled.

"Did you know my mother?" I asked, suddenly as the thought occurred to me.

Both Taiki and Akagi looked over at me, and I blushed.

"I mean, I know you were….younger? But did you ever meet?"

"Yes, I was younger-I started middle school when my sister started at Hope's Peak, and I met some of them a few times…your mother was one of them, since she was Friede's closest friend. She was nice, I remember. Very sweet, made cakes for something or other…I can't remember why, but even though I wasn't involved with the reason, she gave me a cake too. She was good at cooking-is she still?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, from what I saw, they were a cool group, that class. Very close. And not just because they did stuff altogether. I mean, there were different friendship groups and things, and different personalities and suchlike but…I don't know, as a group they really gelled. I used to be so envious because my class in middle school wasn't like that at all. Apart from when we had to do things together it was just like we were names on a list and that was all. Being the same class didn't mean anything much really, you know?"

"It must have been nice." Akagi murmured. "Mum must have been happy."

"Yes. Yes she was happy."

_And then it all got taken away. _None of us needed to say it, and for a little while, we just sat there, quietly eating spoonfuls of our ice-cream, and considering this fact. Eventually, though, Taiki cleared his throat.

"I have a few photographs," he said. "Friede, she didn't keep any of her things from back then, once she came home. I salvaged some of it just in case she might want it someday, but I still have them. Would you like to see the photographs I managed to save, Akio?"

"Um…." I glanced over at Akagi. "Is that alright with you?"

Akagi shrugged.

"You can always describe them to me."

"Then in that case, yeah, that would be nice."

"Alright then, I'll be back in a tick."

Taiki got up and left the room, and we continued eating our ice-cream, Akagi almost finishing by the time Taiki came back with a small box.

"Most of the pictures are on her phone, but there are a few printed out ones in there too. The passcode's 5-4-7-3-9-8."

I picked up the phone and weighed it up uncertainly, turning it over and noting the rhinestone 'F' on the back of the cover. Taiki noticed my uncertainty and laughed.

"It's an iPhone. It was a slightly older model at the time, but we all kept putting off upgrading-Friede was happy with it, and it worked, so why bother, you know? In any case, there's nothing on there except the photos and old messages."

"Ah."

I tapped in the passcode, and though the icons were unfamiliar it didn't take me very long to manage to find the photo album. The first picture looked like a group selfie, taken by a girl with flowers in her black hair peering over seats in a minivan, where my mother and Friede –both instantly recognisable to me-were sitting. There were a number of others squished up in the picture as well, and I thought I recognised younger versions of the faces I had seen today.

"Is that Eizo Amai?" I asked Taiki, pointing.

"Yes, yeah. The one that looks like him but is blond and more serious, that was his brother. It was easy to tell them apart thanks to the dyed hair."

"And this?"

"That's Ayuna Aozaki."

"Oh. Oh, that makes sense."

Despite what were obviously very drastic differences between then and now, once it was pointed out, I could easily connect the dots. I continued to flick through the photographs, all of which looked like they had been taken on various stretches of the trip-posed shots in front of tourist attractions, cheeky selfies, some pretty scenery photographs. I described them to Akagi, and occasionally turned them to Taiki to ask who a particular person was, or for further context. He didn't always know, and some of his answers were more speculation than knowledge

"Those I believe Azami Kishinami took," Taiki said after a few scenery shots. "Or perhaps she advised Friede. I know that she liked having nice nature photographs, but didn't want to impose on her friend just because it was her Talent, you know?"

"Mhm…"

I kept flicking through, as the photos changed over to what looked like scenes from different aspects of their school lives. I lingered a while on a photograph of Friede talking to Mum backstage during what I assumed was a performance, and another of the two of them in formal wear-a neat, floor length ice-blue dress in Friede's case, and what looked like a pink floral kimono dress in Mum's case. There were other shots of the other members of the class in formal wear, apparently posing against the same background, under a banner which read '_Hope's Peak Formal Dance-winter 2018'_. After looking through a few more, I decided to see what the paper paragraphs were, and once I'd locked the phone, I put it in and pulled out a sheaf.

Some turned out to be newspaper cuttings, and I realised that these were from competitions and performances my mother had done during that time. But I had never seen these ones in the collection that she kept, back home. _How could you have, if she didn't want you to know? _There was a newspaper article about the Reiwa Era party and how the class was going to help, with a whole class posed photograph taking up half the sheet, and then a few more of various other classmates and things they'd performed in. Then there were the proper printed photographs-most of these were of the silly photo booth type, and not all of them featured Friede, or my mother, though many featured both, and there was one which, to my count, contained about ten classmates in one small square.

"How did they even manage to get so many people into one photo booth?" I wanted to know.

"Beats me," Taiki said with an amused smile. "But that's what they were like."

The next photo gave me pause. My mother and Friede were in school uniform, though my mother wasn't wearing her blazer, and they were both perched on a desk in what I assumed was their classroom. On either side, a boy stood. One with streaked-hair and blushing slightly, the other small and dark haired and bird-like with a big grin that made me think of Sachi, with the same innocent eagerness. Teiichi Kazama and Kiran Nanakai.

_Four mixed raced students….representations of modern Japan. _

That's what these four had been seen as by the school, something special and above, as if they were elites. And I knew that was true, considering the school, yet at the same time….looking at all of these pictures, while I got a sense of the specialness, at the same time they just looked like kids. Like me, and Akagi, and my classmates and no doubt his classmates. They just looked like kids who were enjoying life and having a good time, just like any other kids.

"They were all hāfu, weren't they?" I asked Taiki. "These four?"

"Yes, yes," Taiki nodded. "I remember Friede calling home for the first time and expressing how surprised she was that there were three other people just like her. That made her really happy, I remember. And I met those two a lot because of that-I couldn't believe Kiran was a high schooler, to be honest!"

"It's funny," Akagi spoke up. "In that class, there were four hāfu, and now in our little group there are four of us with hāfu parents."

"It is funny, isn't it?" Taiki mused.

I yawned, and decided just to look at a few more pictures. The first few were just more ordinary shots, but the final one I picked up took my breath away. It was clearly somewhere on the school grounds, and on an absolutely grey, rainy day. It should have been a depressing picture, but it was full of life.

Because the whole class were there.

In various raincoats, all different colours and designs, and with many umbrellas too. Some wearing trainers, others wearing wellies. I instantly spotted my mother with her hair down and wearing a pink raincoat, soaked but happily dancing with her floral umbrella, alongside Lilian Lao with a see-through poncho and a purple butterfly-patterned umbrella. I could see Friede too, laughing as she watched Eizo Amai and some of the other boys jumping in a puddle. I saw Eikichi Hanamura-another one who to me seemed instantly recognisable, practically the same just younger-looking as if he was shaking his head in annoyance but still unable to avoid being amused. I spotted Teiichi and Kiran together, the latter wearing dinosaur wellies that Sachi would be jealous of. She'd also be jealous of Yuki Fujimoto's jellybean patterned wellies and raincoat that made him look like a unicorn, as it happened. Every single member of the class was in that photograph, vivid against the dreariness of their background, every single one clearly enjoying themselves. And not just within their friendship groups, but as a whole class.

_Perhaps it was that which really made them special, more than anything else. _

I yawned again, louder this time, and Taiki gave an amused chuckle.

"Alright, I think it's well past your bedtimes. I'll bring this out again if you want to have a look another time, alright?"

"Yes. Um, thank you, Benbow-san."

"Not a problem. And please, my first name is fine."

Thanking him again, Akagi and I went up, and brushed our teeth, before he crawled into bed and I went to my futon.

"Goodnight, Benbow-kun."

"Goodnight, Arisato-kun."

As the lights went off, it occurred to me there was something I needed to do. But the pictures I had looked at were too busy replaying in my head, and before I could remember I was fast asleep.

**…**

_Akemi_

When I got home, I could tell by the missing shoes in the hallway that both my parents were out. Still, I announced my presence as I took off my own shoes and put them neatly on the shoe rack, flexing my feet for a moment before heading into the kitchen. First, I looked on the calendar, mostly used to carefully keep track of all my appearances and lessons and interviews, but now, for the most part, sparse for the next few weeks. A strange thrill coursed through me just looking at it, and despite myself, I refrained from doing a little happy dance or crying out in joy or any of the other things the feeling made me want to do at such relative freedom. Instead, I looked at today's date, and underneath the indicator that it had been the day of the tour, there was a social event listed for my parents. Somewhere where they'd get to rub shoulders with the rich and glamorous, and boast about the reason they had proximity to such people in the first place-me.

Once I had looked at that, I scanned the rest of the board, and found a sticky note that had been redundantly also pinned.

_Akemi, make sure that your video is out before you go to bed tonight. You should have started it the moment the tour finished. We will be out all night and that should give you plenty of time._

I stared at it, and sighed. Even in an empty house, I refused to show my feelings about that note in the kitchen. Besides, why should I have feelings about this, when it wasn't anything new. I unpinned the note, then trailed upstairs, easily ignoring my rumbling stomach even though I didn't want to. The cakes that I had had at Rieka's had been amazing, but they were all I had had all day.

_It's okay, you can do this. Just do the video, upload it where you were instructed to, send a copy to the parents as proof, then you can change and make something indulgent._

I headed upstairs and to my bedroom, kitted out perfectly so that I could practise near enough anything that didn't require a specific setting in here. Soundproof, extended, an absolutely glorious desk with a state-of-the-art computer with a webcam, microphone, the works. Big mirror so I could make sure every aspect of my appearance was perfect. It was to that I first headed, so that I could inspect my reflection, before then going to find my make-up kit and hairbrushes to touch myself up. Then, it was to the computer I headed, powering it on and mentally steeling myself, thinking of all the right things to say. I found the link that my fans had submitted questions to, and had that up as a reference point as I began to film myself.

I went through the rest of the video-making steps in autopilot. I tried hard to not expend any more thinking than was absolutely necessary, including the thinking needed to disguise trembles in my voice, yawns, my hands. To supress the relief when I finished the filming, so it wouldn't filter on the camera. But eventually, I was finished, and all that was left to do was email a link to my parents, so that they'd see it the next time they checked their phones, which I was sure they were doing every so often, just to see if the video was there or not. Just that. So, I didn't bother with any explanations, or small talk, or anything. All the email contained was the link and then….that was it.

Now, I could go to the part of the room that was mine. To the wardrobe with a full-length mirror that was still smaller than the one in the other half of the room, to the bed and the chest of drawers and my knickknacks. I opened the wardrobe, and pulled my pyjamas out. Impulsively, I held the white pyjama top to my body and looked in the mirror. _I love you to the moon and back, _the writing declared, making a liar out of me. Who did I love that much? Certainly not the girl in the mirror holding the top. Sighing, I balled it up and then quickly went to my bathroom, concentrating on cleaning myself, letting my hair free from its ponytail, scrubbing away the makeup and revealing all my flaws for nobody to see. I kept it simple though, there was no need for an elaborate cleansing ritual. And yet, somehow, I felt more cleansed after this, than I had for a long while.

It was a feeling I tried to hold onto as I headed back down to the kitchen, but as I looked around me at the cupboard and the fridge, the sensation disappeared and was replaced with panic. I could barely remember the last time I'd sat in my own kitchen, eating a meal to unwind at the end of a day. I could barely remember eating a meal. Just snacks and drinks and protein bars and shakes, quick things so as to maximise the time I spent being lucrative. Anything approaching a meal were in formal occasions, expensive, tiny things arranged artfully on plates. I knew how to cook, in many cuisines, but….

_What do I do? What do I do? _I struggled to take a breath, but somehow I managed it, then gave another, and another, until I was less shaky. When I lifted my hands up to my face though, they still trembled. _Think of something, _I told myself. _Anything, just anything…_my thoughts drifted, here and there, to how much fun I'd had today with everyone. Yes, that scene at Akio's house hadn't been nice, and we'd obviously more or less gotten down to business once at Rieka's. But…it had been fun. The glimmer of hope was unfurling into something brighter. _Maybe then….something comforting. _I watched my hands still, and eventually decided to just make a bowl of ramen. Simple, but tasty.

And with that decision, calm returned.

**…**

It wasn't until I had finished and cleared up, taking an unusually leisurely pace in doing so that it hit me-_the profile. _I had said that I would do one, but I hadn't even thought about it. And we were meeting _tomorrow_. It shouldn't matter, it wasn't supposed to matter. They weren't the show or my agent or my parents. They were supposed to be my freedom.

_But what if? What if?_

It wasn't meant to be about me, was it? No, it was supposed to be about helping the past SHSLs, finding the truth and justice and closure. It was meant to be something good and meaningful. What was I doing, just relaxing, taking my time cooking and eating and savouring said cooked food, as if I was fully ordinary. Yes, I was less of an oddity around kids like them, and yes, I didn't have to be the TV figure. But…that was how they knew me, first and foremost. As someone perfect, who could learn and do everything at extraordinary rates. Surely they'd want me to do the same here, to help solve the mystery.

_Arisato-kun wouldn't. He'd understand, wouldn't he? He wouldn't mind. _His gentle face appeared in my mind as I brushed my teeth and washed my face, and then went to my bedroom. Despite myself, I sat down on my bed, grabbing a planet cushion and hugging it. Yes, I was sure Akio didn't think like that-after all, he didn't even seem to have fully realised who I was when we'd first met in school. But the others…how could I be sure about them? Any of them? What if I didn't deliver, and then they were disappointed? If they stopped wanting me around?

I could hardly have my hope of normality and friendship if they didn't want me around.

_Maybe it would just be better, if I was just in space. Drifting, aimless, away from it all. Just the planets and the stars, nothing to judge me. _I hugged my planet cushion closer to me, imagining it. Going to space, like I had always dreamed, but opening the door of the spacecraft and then just…letting go. It was not so much I wanted to die as I…

_But no. The hope is still there. It's still glimmering. _

Once again, I thought of them all. Mitsuhide's terrible attempts at flirting and not-so-terrible charm, even if it was very much of the rolled-on-thick variety. Rieka and Otsuka's tendencies towards snappy retorts, the way Ritsuka quietly surveyed everything, Akagi's sorrowful calm. And Akio. Lovely, lovely Akio, who'd given me that hope in the first place. I wanted so badly for them to be what I was looking for.

But I knew by now that things don't just come because you wish for them. I had to put in the work to make it happen. I had to prove myself worthy of it. So I abandoned the cushion, got back up, and headed to my desk.

* * *

**Fun fact, I basically wrote this chapter backwards-that is to say, I wrote the last scene first, the first one last and so on. Even for me, a serial scene/chapter hopper, this was an..._interesting_ process XD. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, as always! I'm probably going to focus back on ASIB again for the next few weeks update wise but don't worry, this is still definitely being worked on too!**


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